Emma (Unit 30) - Task Two

Regulation:

Regulation in advertising effectively means that the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority)and companies like it will constantly check the internet to ensure that all ads are well within the advertising rules, for example, including terms and conditions, no misleading of the audience and many other codes of conduct that adverts have to adhere to. The ASA also deal with complaints about adverts, such as if a member of the public finds an advert to be misleading or offensive they can call the ASA to have it looked into and possibly revoked. Ofcom is another example of a communications regulator. They regulate the TV, radio, postal services and mobiles and make sure that the public is protected from scams while advising them on what would be best for them in terms of mobile providers so as to avoid any unnecessary hassle. Their job is to ensure that people who watch TV and listen to the radio are protected from offensive material and that there are always a range of high-quality TV shows and Radio channels, to name a few. Ofcom works by having board meetings once a month to discuss what to do next. Here is an ad that Ofcom issued in 2016 to promote their company and to help their consumers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3KPJvxZpoQ

Audience Information:

BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) is a television research agency that helps people, including advertisers, to research what tv shows are the most popular on which channels at the moment so they know where and when to place their ads. BARB works by conducting a panel to estimate viewing patterns across the UK. This panel is chosen to reflect the necessary demographics and consists of around 5100 households to reflect households across the UK. Once the panel is selected a meter is fitted to the TV, laptops and other viewing devices to collect the data. In March, BARB recorded that TV is falling in popularity compared to the usage of services like Netflix which do not show ads, this could mean that the advertising industry may lose money in 2016 to streaming services.

Sources of Information:

4 sales is a website that gives you information on what advertising opportunities are available. There are loads of types of advertisements on offer, for example: airtime, sponsorship, digital, new to tv and current campaigns. Airtime adverts are usually 30 seconds long and shown in between shows on TV. There are loads of channels that this type of advert is available for from widely received channels like Channel 4, E4 and Film4 and also some more niche audiences like Good Food, Eden and Home. These adverts are also suitable for a very modest budget while still ensuring a high return on investment. Digital Ads involve showing the ad on a variety of platforms including the All 4 website, which mainly reaches the market of people between the ages of 16-25.