TORONTO, March 22, 2017 /CNW/ - Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) today released its Annual Ad Complaints Report- 2016 Year in Review. The Report provides information about consumers' complaints submitted to ASC in 2016 for review under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.
Complaints Snapshot:
- 1,639 complaints submitted about 1,237 advertisements
- 59% of pursued complaints alleged inaccurate or misleading advertising
- 225 complaints received about retail advertising ‒ the highest by sector
- 264 complaints about 222 advertisements warranted investigation; of those:
o 178 complaints about 171 advertisements were administratively resolved by ASC
o 44 complaints about 30 advertisements were upheld by Standards Councils
o The remaining 42 complaints about 21 advertisements were not upheld by Standards Councils
"Canadian consumers continue to express concerns to ASC about accuracy in advertising," noted Janet Feasby, Vice President, Standards at ASC. "Each year since 2013, ASC has seen a rise in the number of complaints administratively resolved by ASC staff under Clause 1(Accuracy and Clarity).
This is largely due to the vigilance of consumers, who often spot and report simple errors, primarily in retail ads. In these cases, ASC is able to swiftly resolve the issue without going to Council, as advertisers appreciate the opportunity to quickly correct mistakes."
The 2016 Ad Complaints Report and summaries of consumers' complaints upheld by the Standards Councils are available at adstandards.com
About ASC
Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) is the national, independent, not-for-profit advertising self-regulatory body. We are committed to fostering community confidence in advertising and to ensuring the integrity and viability of advertising in Canada through responsible industry self-regulation. ASC administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, the principal instrument of advertising self-regulation in Canada, and a national mechanism for accepting and responding to consumers' complaints about advertising.
SOURCE Advertising Standards Canada
Christian Campbell, Communications Coordinator, Tel: 416 961-6311, ext. 22, [email protected]
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