MAM
Guest Column: ASCI to form new ad regulations to avoid misleading content
NEW DELHI: Advertising has evolved into an enormously complex form of communication, with literally thousands of different ways for a business to get a message to the consumer. Today's advertisers have a vast array of choices at their disposal. The internet alone provides many of these, with the advent of branded viral videos, banners, advertorials, sponsored websites, branded chat rooms and so much more. A successful advertising campaign will spread the word about your products and services attract customers and generate sales. Whether you are trying to encourage new customers to buy an existing product or launching a new service, there are many options to choose from.
The most suitable advertising option for your business will depend on your target audience and what is the most cost effective way to reach as many of them as possible. The advertising option chosen should also reflect the right environment for your product or service. For example, if you know that your target market reads a particular magazine, you should advertise in that particular publication only or if the target market is online, then it’s better to have a firm grip on the online platform to reach the correct target audience.
Ads can majorly vary into categories and further gets divided into sub- categories:
1. Online Advertising – If you see an advertisement via the internet, then it is classified as online advertising. In fact, there are ads on various pages, and most other websites you visit, as they are the primary revenue driver for the internet. There are many digital marketing strategies including placing ads on popular websites and social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat Facebook and on websites through Adword and Adsense.
- Google Adwords- AdWords from Google allows companies to bid on the placement of an ad on Google's search engine results page. By using keywords or common search terms, searches that are related to the business and their products. It works when a business pays google as per the number of times an ad is clicked on, which is why it's called a cost per click.
- Google AdSense- It allows a company to host ads on their website from Google to generate revenue for the site. For businesses looking to advertise, they can enroll in Adsense and Google, which will then match the ad to various websites with related content or search parameters. As a result, companies can reach larger audiences through Google's placement of advertisements and will help gain website, the required traffic through it.
2. Mobile Advertising- A dominating force in digital advertising is through mobile devices such as cell phones, iPads, kindles, and other portable electronic devices with internet connectivity. Current trends in mobile advertising involve major use of social media. Mobile advertising is similar to online advertising and is increasingly gaining importance as a method of reaching new customers.
3. Print Advertising- Print, a huge driver of sales, it is taking a back seat to the many digital forms of advertising now available to marketers. However, if there is one thing that's certain about advertising, it's that being different is good. Typically, print can be split into three subcategories:
- Newspapers/ Magazines
- Brochures, Leaflets, Flyers, Handouts, and Point-of-Sale Advertising
- Direct Mail Advertising
4. Broadcast Advertising- A mass-market form of communication including television and radio, broadcast advertising has, been the most dominant way to reach a large number of consumers.
Challenges faced by the industry
The industry is progressing and everyone thinks they can be a marketer these days even after having little or no experience at all.It is becoming a very difficult industry for new companies to navigate. The online advertising industry is facing a number of serious challenges right now. One of the major issues being faced is the lack of transparency. Transparency has long been an issue in advertising, largely due to the complex nature of contracts signed between media companies and their clients, as well as the subject of uncertain bonuses or benefits that have come from media producers.
Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to form new ad regulations to avoid misleading content- In order to curb these challenges, the government is recently working on a code to curb misleading advertisements, which will force companies to substantiate statements made while promoting products. Additionally, since there are no specific regulations for advertisers on OTT platforms for example, products like liquor ads do not have a gateway to advertise themselves on general DTH platforms, but due to no fixed regulation assigned on OTT platforms, brands have now started to advertise themselves on platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar, AltBalaji, Voot, Zee5 etc. Such an activity from advertisers can be a bane for children under the age of 18 and can badly influence the target audience. There is a need to have a code for the benefit of consumers and also to help identify quickly which fall under misleading category, otherwise there will be a sea of complaints about misleading advertisements.
(The author is Makani Creatives co-founder and managing director Sameer Makani. The views are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)
Brands
International Women’s Day ’26:Â The rise of self-purchased jewellery among working women
By Trisha Paul, head of merchandising, Kisna
MUMBAI: You know that feeling when you buy something with your own money for the first time? Not the first time ever, but the first time with money you actually earned, for something entirely, unambiguously yours.
Fine jewellery has always been given. At weddings, at festivals, at milestones on someone else’s timeline. What is changing is that a growing number of women are buying it for themselves, to mark moments they defined. The question is no longer whether to do it. It is how to do it well.
For women in the early years of a career, a first piece can cost well under Rs. 1 lakh. Many cost a fraction of that. What matters is choosing for your life, your wardrobe, and the milestone you are marking. The woman buying for herself today wants something that works with her life every day, not just for a special occasion. She is thinking about longevity, about versatility, about what still feels right in five years. That shift has changed the entire conversation around what accessible fine jewellery needs to be.
The First Step: Daily Dainty Diamond Neckwear
The right first piece isn’t the most expensive one you can afford. It’s the one you’ll actually wear. A delicate diamond pendant or a fine diamond necklace in 9KT, 14KT, or 18KT gold hits that sweet spot: understated enough to feel effortless, special enough to feel like you.
You’ll reach for it on Monday mornings and Friday nights without a second thought. It works with almost everything in your wardrobe, and over time, it becomes less of a purchase and more of a constant, something that quietly holds both meaning and value.
A Reliable Classic: Diamond Studs That Hold Value
A pair of well-sourced diamond studs in 18KT or 14KT gold is as close to a guaranteed wearable asset as fine jewellery gets. Round brilliant cuts hold their appeal longer than more fashionable styles and resist the ageing effects of trend. Look for independent grading documentation when you buy. The difference it makes to what a piece is worth at exchange is significant, and it is a straightforward thing to ask any reputable retailer for.
Building a Collection That Marks Your Milestones
For women who would rather accumulate meaning incrementally, stackable rings are the most satisfying category. A plain gold band for the first salary. A diamond-set ring for the first promotion. Another for the move or the launch. Each band is its own modest commitment. Together they become a record, worn on your hand, of everything you have done.
Starting Small: Savings Plans and Digital Gold
Not every first purchase needs to be immediate. If you prefer a value-driven approach, begin with a jewellery savings plan from a credible retailer. These plans typically allow you to set aside a fixed monthly amount for 10 months, with the retailer contributing an equivalent 11th month that can be redeemed toward a diamond jewellery purchase. For those who would rather build value gradually and with greater flexibility, digital gold offers another route. It allows you to accumulate gold in small increments online and redeem it against physical jewellery when you are ready. The habit of building towards something is often more valuable than the thing itself.
The Bigger Picture
Fine jewellery in India has always told stories. For a long time, those stories were written by someone else. The piece you buy with your first salary is a story you are writing yourself. It does not need to be expensive to be meaningful. It needs to be right for your life, and bought because you decided it was time.
