MxMIndia

Tag: Shweta Purandare

  • Tap-a-Gain will engage with advertisers, agencies, and small business owners to help them get their advertising communication “First time right” and compliant with advertising regulations.

    Former ASCI secy gen Shweta Purandare launches ‘Tap-a-Gain’ consultancy

    By Our Staff

     

    Shweta Purandare
    Shweta Purandare

    Former Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) secretary general Shweta Purandare has launched ‘Tap-a-Gain’, a boutique consultancy service based in Mumbai. Tap-a-Gain will engage with advertisers, agencies, and small business owners to help them get their advertising communication “First time right” and compliant with advertising regulations.

     

    As was reported by MxMIndia last month, Purandare quit Diageo India where she was heading Corporate Brand and Communications.

     

    As Secretary General of ASCI, Purandare led its transformation over a period of eight years wherein MOUs were established with key regulators such as Department of Consumer Affairs, FSSAI, Ministry of AYUSH and interactions with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

     

    Over her 28+ years career, has experience in product evaluation, product endorsements, advertising claim support, regulatory compliance, Government affairs, Social Media strategy, Grievance redressal and consumer advisory services. She has experience across  multiple sectors such as FMCG, Beautycare, Personal Hygiene, Home care, OTC/ Healthcare, Food and Beverages. She was also the Scientific Director at L’Oreal India heading their product evaluation Centre and Consumer Complaint department. She was a Regulatory Affairs expert at Procter & Gamble India.

     

  • She was head of corporate communications at the alcohol major

    Former ASCI secy-gen Shweta Purandare quits Diageo

    By Our Staff

     

    Shweta Purandare
    Shweta Purandare

    Shweta Purandare, who was until last year Secretary General of the Advertising Standards Council of India, has decided to leave Diageo, which she had joined as Head of Corporate Communications in September 2020. Although there is no official word from Diageo or Purandare, according to our sources, Purandare is serving notice will exit by the month-end.

     

    After a pharma masters and an MBA, Purandare worked for several years at P&G, L’Oreal and her own consulting practice  before an eight-year stint at ASCI.

     

  • ASCI investigated complaints against 310 advertisements, of which 77 advertisements were promptly withdrawn

    ASCI acts on misleading ads for December 2019

    By A Correspondent

     

    During the month of December 2019, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) informs us that it investigated complaints against 310 advertisements, of which 77 advertisements were promptly withdrawn by the advertisers on receipt of communication from ASCI. The independent Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI evaluated remaining 233 advertisements, of which complaints against 225 advertisements were upheld. Of these 225 advertisements, 124 belonged to the education sector, 66 belonged to the healthcare sector, seven to the food & beverages sector, six to personal care and 22 were from the ‘others’ category.

     

    A popular online shopping website was found misleading consumers by advertising a coupon code offering discount on all orders. The print ad of one of the leading alcohol brands in India was upheld because of surrogate advertising and violating ASCI’s guidelines of brand extension products. A widely used toothbrush brand could not substantiate a claim of being India’s No. 1 Toothbrush brand, recommended by Dentists.

     

    ASCI, through its Suo Motu surveillance, also picked advertisements that were in violation of guidelines for celebrities in advertisement. An advertisement featuring a Bollywood actor endorsing the claim “India’s First Hygienic Gym” was found to be misleading. Claims made by one advertiser marketing ayurvedic eye drops co-promoted with a movie release and endorsed by the two female leads in the movie were not substantiated. Another advertisement by the same advertiser for women’s health tonic featuring a yesteryear Bollywood celebrity was found to be misleading.

     

    Shweta Purandare

    Said Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI: “Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, there is widespread anxiety, confusion and fear amongst public at large. ASCI is monitoring advertisements that are making unsubstantiated and opportunistic claims. We have issued notices to advertisers for immediate suspension of such advertisements pending investigation. ASCI’s active social media listening as well as availability of the WhatsApp number 7710012345 during the lock down period have been key in enabling ASCI to act swiftly.”

     

     

  • Several advertisements featuring celebrities were caught on the wrong foot for making misleading claims

    ASCI hauls up 137 ads in Nov 2019 for non-compliance

    By A Correspondent

     

    During the month of November 2019, ASCI investigated complaints against 408 advertisements, of which 137 were withdrawn by advertisers on receipt of communication from ASCI. The independent Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI evaluated 271 advertisements, of which complaints against 248 advertisements were upheld. Of these 248 advertisements, 159 belonged to the education sector, 44 belonged to the healthcare, eight to personal care, four to the food & beverages sector, and 33 were from the ‘others’ category.

     

    While most ads were evaluated for making misleading claims, the CCC also upheld complaints against a couple of advertisements for encouraging disregard to safety. A TVC showing a pillion-riding barber shaving a policeman in uniform on his way to work was considered to be inappropriate, contravening ASCI guidelines for advertisements depicting automotive vehicles. Complaint against a drama serial promo indicating the protagonist doing self-harm by stifling her neck with a cloth (duppata) was also upheld.

     

    Also, a TVC for a popular pain relief gel claiming ‘#1 Doctor recommended active for acute pain relief’ was considered to be misleading as the terminology was ambiguous. It omitted a key word ‘ingredient’ which would be understood by general consumers. Also, a visual presentation of a claim by a popular roll-on deodorant product of dramatically changing dark underarms to fair in five days was considered to be misleading.

     

    Several advertisements featuring celebrities were caught on the wrong foot for making misleading claims. Advertisement of a popular diagnostic company featured a Bollywood actor who endorsed their claim of the diagnostic lab being ‘preferred by most doctors’, which was considered to be misleading by exaggeration and implication.

     

    Shweta Purandare

    Said Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI: “Consumers are exposed to a significant amount of advertisements on a daily basis. Children and youth are thereby greatly influenced not only for the product choices, but also by what is being depicted in the advertisements and celebrity endorsements. Responsible advertising means depicting safe practices and not encourage negligence. It is also the responsibility of celebrities to check authenticity of the claims they endorse and serve their role of informed influencers.”

     

     

  • It upheld complaints against 190 advertisements, out of 228 advertisements evaluated by them

    ASCI upholds complaints against 190 ads for June 2019

    By A Correspondent

     

    (L-R) Joint Secretary Anil Bahuguna, Deputy Secretary G C Rout of DoCA

    During the month of June 2019, ASCI investigated complaints against 334 advertisements, of which 106 advertisements were promptly withdrawn by the advertisers as soon as they received communication from ASCI. The independent Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) of ASCI upheld complaints against 190 advertisements, out of 228 advertisements evaluated by them. Of these 190 advertisements, 112 belonged to the education sector, 40 belonged to the healthcare sector, 10 to personal care, seven to the food & beverages sector, five to the media / broadcasting sector, five from consumer durables and 11 were from the ‘others’ category.

     

    The trend of advertisements featuring celebrities without observing guidelines for celebrities in Advertising continued. The CCC pulled up a renowned celebrity couple that endorsed an ‘Antibacterial’ paint brand claiming it to be endorsed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). One of the bestseller water purifier brand featuring a Bollywood superstar claimed to instantly incorporate the benefits of copper in the purified water, equating it with water stored overnight in copper vessels. A well-known celebrity associated with cricket as well as a few cricket players endorsed a detergent product which had a misleading claim of it being consumers’ choice for its product quality. A claim endorsed by a famous cricketer for a gaming app being ‘India’s Favourite Fantasy Cricket Game’ was also not substantiated.

     

    Speaking on the update, Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI, said: “We are extremely happy with this development as this reiterates the government’s faith in the work done by ASCI over the years. What ASCI brings to the table is not just the unique expertise in dealing with complaints pertaining to misleading advertisements but also its suo motu capabilities to monitor a huge number of misleading advertisements in television and print media. ASCI provides a very efficient mechanism for consumers as well as ensures prompt compliance from advertisers, thus reducing the burden on regulators to focus only on persistent violators.”

     

     

  • Out of the total 89 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 24 belonged to the healthcare sector

    ASCI upholds complaints against 89 erring ads for April 2018

    By A Correspondent

     

    In April 2018, ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 89 advertisements of the total of 162 advertisements that were evaluated by the CCC.

     

    Out of the total 89 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 24 belonged to the healthcare sector, 34 to the education sector, 20 to the food & beverages category,  two to the  personal care and nine were from the others category. A total of 101 advertisements were picked up by ASCI’s suo moto surveillance, wherein 31 cases were informally resolved as advertisements were voluntarily withdrawn and objections against 68 advertisements were upheld. Of the 61 advertisements complained against by the general public or by industry members, 12 cases were informally resolved wherein the advertisements were voluntarily withdrawn and complaints against 21 advertisements were upheld by the CCC.

     

    Exaggeration of product efficacy was the number one reason for upholding complaints. The other reasons included providing facts and figures which were inadequate to substantiate claims, exploiting consumers’ lack of knowledge, claims which were misleading by gross exaggeration and delivering advertisements which were misleading by ambiguity or by implication. This was followed by violations of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act (DMR Act) and the Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Rules and advertisements which contravened various ASCI guidelines.

     

    Among the various complaints against advertisements, the CCC observed that a popular smartphone company was found to unethically attract customers by claiming the biggest sale ever in the history of India. Several advertisements used logos of AYUSH or FSSAI in their communication which was considered to be inappropriate as all AYUSH products in the market are required to have approval from the State Licensing authorities, and calling it out separately as a claim is misleading by implication that Ministry of AYUSH or FSSAI has approved the product efficacy / claims made in the advertisement.

     

    Said Shweta Purandare, ASCI Secretary General: “ASCI’s work in monitoring Print and TV advertisements for AYUSH sector has also been recognised by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health & Family Welfare. The committee was of the view that collaborative efforts of the ministry, along with the DoCA, MIB and State Governments, have certainly given results as misleading advertisements with respect to AYUSH drugs which have been unregulated so far have been controlled to an extent. ASCI’s inclusion in the AYUSH’s empowered committee earlier this year is a reflection of regulators’ recognition of ASCI’s consistent efforts to curb misleading advertisements.”

  • A total of 148 advertisements were picked up by ASCI’s suo moto surveillance and objections against 130 advertisements were upheld

    ASCI upholds complaints against 171 ads in Jan 2018

    By A Correspondent

     

    In January 2018, ASCI’s Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) upheld complaints against 171 advertisements out of the total of 247 advertisements that were evaluated by the CCC.

     

    A total of 148 advertisements were picked up by ASCI’s suo moto surveillance and objections against 130 advertisements were upheld. Of the 99 advertisements complained against by the general public or by industry members, complaints against 41 advertisements were upheld by the CCC. Out of the total 171 advertisements against which complaints were upheld, 118 belonged to healthcare sector, 16 to education sector, 10 to the food & beverages category, five to personal care and 22 were from the others category.

     

    Gross exaggeration of product efficacy was the number one reason for upholding complaints, followed by violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act (DMR Act) and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules (D&C Rules). The other reasons were failure to provide substantial facts and figures to support claims, and delivering advertisements which were misleading by ambiguity and / or by implication.

     

    Among the various complaints, the CCC observed that a prominent FMCG drug company was providing inadequate and misleading information about its products. Similarly, a popular food brand was found to give incomplete and misleading comparison of its milkshake product. Furthermore, an advertiser claimed to cure various diseases like heart block, cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, eye sight, Alzheimer’s, kidney function, thyroid, with their product featuring an FSSAI logo, implying that the claims are approved by FSSAI. These claims, too, were found to be misleading by exaggeration.

     

    “ASCI associates with Government bodies to ensure an effective self-regulation process. We have completed a year of our association with the Ministry of AYUSH. AYUSH is among top three sectors where we find a high incidence of misleading advertisements. The advertisements in the AYUSH sector claiming treatment of certain diseases in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Regulations have been a cause of concern. With support from the Ministry of AYUSH, we hope to change this scenario so that advertising is legal and ethical,” said Shweta Purandare, ASCI Secretary General.

     

    In Healthcare, total of 118 ads complained against:

    :: Direct Complaints (17 ads complained against)

    :: Suo Moto Surveillance by ASCI ( 101 ads complained against)

     

    In Personal Care, total of five ads complained against:

    :: Direct Complaints (three ads complained against)

    :: Suo Moto Surveillance by ASCI (Two ads complained against)

     

    In Food & Beverages, total of 10 ads complained against:

    :: Direct Complaints (Nine ads complained against)

    :: Suo Moto Surveillance by ASCI (one ad complained against)

     

    In Education, total of 16 ads complained against:

    :: Direct Complaints (One ad complained against)

    :: Suo Moto Surveillance by ASCI (15 ads complained against)

     

    Under others, total of 22 ads complained against:

    :: Direct Complaints (11 ads complained against)

    :: Suo Moto Surveillance by ASCI (11 ads complained against)

     

  • ASCI does empathize with the consumers’ grievance that some of the condom advertisements are detrimental to the children’s sensibilities

    ASCI welcomes MIB’s advisory on airing of condom ads

    By A Correspondent

     

    Advertising self-regular Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has responded to the government’s move to ban condom advertising from 6am to 10pm.

     

    Shweta Purandare

    Said Shweta Purandare, Secretary General, ASCI on the development: “It is important to highlight that condom advertisements meant for family viewing, which disseminate health benefits or propagate information on safe sex practices, the implementation of which can diminish accidental pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) / HIV continue to be allowed to air without restriction. The condom advertisements that have come under watershed hour restriction are the ones which lean on sexual innuendos which could be violating certain provisions of Cable TV Act’s Advertising Code. Advertisements that were complained against were not about HIV protection, prevention of teenage pregnancy or population control. Instead, they focussed on sexual titillation, highlighting product flavours or features, which made them embarrassing and distasteful to be viewed, especially in the presence of children during family viewing hours. As these advertisements were not objectionable for viewing by adults, they could be aired during the watershed hours. ASCI welcomes this move which provides a pragmatic solution addressing the concerns of all stakeholders.”

     

     

  • It's World Consumer Rights Day today (March 15) and we Shweta Purandare, Secy Gen of ASCI, listing how one alert on ads

    10 ways to not get taken in by ads

     

    Every year, March 15 is celebrated as World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), an annual occasion for celebration and solidarity within the international consumer movement. It marks the date when in 1962 the then United States President John F Kennedy first outlined the definition of Consumer Rights.

     

    WCRD is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers, for demanding that those rights are respected and protected, and for protesting the market abuses and social injustices which undermine them. WCRD was first observed on March 15, 1983, and has since become an important occasion for mobilising citizen action. To mark World Consumer Rights Day, we bring you a checklist on how consumers can play a key role in identifying bad advertisements…

     

    By Shweta Purandare

     

    We all interact with advertising on a daily basis. It is a truly wonderful thing because it informs you about the range of products and services available, and gives you the right to choose. However, it is also seen that needs and desires for a product have been influenced and manipulated directly or indirectly by advertisements. Hence, the content an ad carries becomes of prime importance. Unfortunately, in midst of some great advertising, there are still some ads which erode the trust of consumers by making dishonest, unsubstantiated or misleading claims.

     

    Consumers can play a strong role in identifying bad advertisements by keeping in mind that good ads must be truthful and honest, decent, responsible in promoting a product or a service and fair in terms of competition.

     

    While the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), as a self-regulatory organisation for 30 years, takes suo motu action against advertisements that are in gross violation of the ASCI code, it is the consumer who can make a real difference to weed out such “bad ads” by flagging them off to the ASCI. The Council looks into every single complaint it receives, and it is important that the consumers send a specific complaint against a specific advertisment by providing their objection for ASCI to effectively process their complaint.

     

    So how does one spot a ‘bad ad’? Here are 10 things to look out for:

     

    1. If you find the ad making a promise too good to be true

     

    2. Ads giving a 100 per cent (job) guarantee

     

    3. Ads promising cure from incurable conditions or making claims to ‘cure’ things like diabetes, kidney stones, cancer, epilepsy, baldness, increase in height, infertility and such

     

    4. Ads promoting magical potions, lotions, pills and tablets to enhance sexual potency

     

    5. Those claiming to be No.1, in terms of brands/colleges/institutes. Be particularly wary of brands and institutions that are unheard of or insignificant in their presence

     

    6. Absolute claims like “Best”, “Finest”, “Most”  for which the advertiser needs to prove that their product is better than all the rest

     

    7. Ads deriding any race, caste, colour, creed, gender or nationality

     

    8. Ads depicting unsafe practices

     

    9. Ads depicting violation of traffic rules such as riding two wheelers without a helmet, driving without a seat belt, overtaking from the wrong side of the road and such

     

    10. Ads disparaging competitor products

     

    Shweta Purandare is Secretary General at The Advertising Standards Council. This article first appeared in dna of brands dated March 14, 2016

     

  • As NAMS has started tracking upheld complaints to ensure that these ads don't reappear, ASCI plans to report any reappearance of upheld complaint ads to the statutory authorities for further action, and has increased the frequency of CCC meetings

    ASCI for faster, stronger action against ads violating code

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Adverting Standards Council of India (ASCI), the advertising content self-regulating industry watchdog, has announced three significant initiatives to ensure faster and more stringent action against all advertisements which violate its advertising code and guidelines.

     

    ASCI, through its National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS), has now started tracking advertisements in print and TV nationally against which complaints are upheld. If they continue to re-appear without removing or changing objectionable portions of the ad, ASCI will report these advertisements to the relevant statutory authorities for action according to the law of the land.

     

    To speed up the decision-making process and handle multi-fold increase in complaints due to NAMS, ASCI has introduced an additional Consumer Complaint Council (CCC). As a result, CCC meetings will now be held every week instead of every fortnight. This will further reduce the average complaint adjudication time. The self-regulatory body has also appointed Shweta Purandare as Chief Operations Officer (COO) to drive the investigation of complaints, besides heading the complaint redressal and follow-up process.

     

    Arvind Sharma

    Commenting on these initiatives, ASCI Chairman Arvind Sharma said, “ASCI has been continually innovating to protect the interests of the consumers and all these initiatives are steps towards that. The proactive tracking by NAMS, earlier of all newly released ads in print and TV and now of all upheld complaint ads, and reporting non-compliance to statutory bodies, is likely to help substantially in moving towards the goal of eradicating misleading ads. The appointment of a COO and an additional CCC will go a long way in ensuring speedier and more effective complaint redressal process. ”