Starting today, advertisers in India must secure a Self-Declaration Certification (SDC). In a ruling last month, the Supreme Court of India made SDC mandatory to bolster consumer protection, trust, and transparency in advertising.
What the Supreme Court ruled
On May 7, the Supreme Court ruled that no advertisements on television, print, digital or radio can be published or aired without the SDC. This directive aims to ensure compliance with regulations and prevent misleading claims, originating from a case between the Indian Medical Association and the Centre.
The government has made compliance mandatory
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has instructed advertisers to submit the SDC before publishing, airing, or displaying any new advertisements from June 18 onwards. Existing ads are exempt from this requirement and can continue running without the SDC.
How stakeholders have reacted
The new norms have elicited mixed responses from advertising leaders, media agencies and marketing experts. Some question the feasibility of its implementation and its effectiveness in curbing misleading claims and surrogate advertising.
Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of the Advertising Standards Council of India told Times of India that the entire advertising ecosystem, including advertisers, agencies, and publishers, must establish internal systems to ensure compliance. This requirement spans all sectors and categories.
Brand strategy adjustments
Mustafa Surka, a partner at KPMG India told the same paper that practices such as pre-publication advertising reviews and preventive risk assessments to avoid potential backlash will now be integral to an organisation’s brand strategy.
Amid concerns, there are suggestions as well
The Indian Newspaper Society has expressed concerns about the SDC portal’s functionality and has requested a deferral of the new mandate. They recommend the government strengthen existing mechanisms and consider limiting the SDC requirement to healthcare-related or medical advertisements.
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Indian ads may become more customer friendly from today, but advertisers are worried
