ASC NEWS

ASC Partners with MacLaren McCann to Extend Privacy Study to Canada

What are consumers’ attitudes to data sharing? How can businesses create responsible sharing strategies? What does privacy, including online privacy, really mean to consumers?

To answer these questions, in 2011 McCann Truth Central, McCann’s global thought leadership group, conducted a study in twelve countries. The findings were so compelling that MacLaren McCann and ASC have partnered to replicate this important research for Canada. The quantitative and qualitative studies in French and English Canada have just been completed and analysis is underway.

Join us for the release of the results of this important research on November 27, 2012 in Toronto and on November 29, 2012 in Montreal. Watch for details.

ASC’s Trends & Topics Seminar Series Slides Available

ASC’s latest Trends & Topics Seminar – To Disclaim or Not and How? Very Big Questions! A Primer for Marketers was recently presented in both Toronto and Montreal. Presenters were Bill Hearn, Counsel; Hubert Sibre, Partner and Annie Claude Beauchemin, Associate from Davis LLP; Rafe Engle, R.S. Engle Professional Corporation; Janet Feasby, Vice President, Standards, ASC and Danielle Lefrançois, Communications Manager, ASC. The presentations offered insights into recent legal developments and what they mean for the appropriate use, content and placement of disclaimers in advertising.

If you were unable to attend, or wish to have a copy of the presentation slides in English or French, contact Breydon MacDonald, Vice President, Membership.

ASC Publishes Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) 2011 Compliance Report

ASC has released its fourth annual CAI Report. The CAI is a voluntary initiative by 19 of Canada’s leading food and beverage advertisers that have committed to shifting their advertising directed to children under 12 to the promotion of better-for-you products, or to not advertise to children.

As the administrator of the program, ASC approves and publishes the participating companies’ program commitments, audits their compliance and publicly reports on the results. The Report, which covers 2011, shows that the companies participating in the CAI have demonstrated excellent compliance in meeting their program commitments.

"Since the program’s inception in 2007, participating companies have made complying with their commitments a high corporate priority, and this is reflected in the outstanding record of compliance that they have achieved," stated Linda J. Nagel, President and CEO of ASC.

Robert E. Oliver Scholarship

ASC offers an annual scholarship for advertising and marketing students to commemorate ASC’s first president and a pioneer of Canadian advertising self-regulation.

One outstanding student pursuing a career in advertising or marketing is selected each year. This student will set him or herself apart through outstanding academic achievement and community involvement. Applicants for the scholarship must be full-time post secondary students currently enrolled in undergraduate advertising or marketing programs at Canadian universities or colleges. Only one student per institution may be nominated. Students interested in the award should submit their applications to the Program Chair/Coordinator of their college or university.

The deadline for nominating students for the Robert E. Oliver Scholarship is February 28, 2013.

See the Robert E. Oliver Scholarship Winners to learn about past recipients.

Q2 Complaints Report 2012 Now Available

ASC’s Ad Complaints Report from the second quarter of 2012 is available. The Report contains case summaries of consumer complaints upheld by Standards Council about advertisements found to contravene the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012. Both identified cases and non-identified cases are covered in the report. Identified cases are those in which the involved advertiser is named because the advertisement in question was not withdrawn or amended before Council met to deliberate about the complaint. Non-identified cases are those in which neither the advertiser nor the advertisement is named because the advertiser withdrew, or appropriately amended the advertisement in question, before Council met to adjudicate the complaint.