In an effort to stifle the digital version of illegal advertising maneuvers such as bait-and-hook and other shady strategies, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) has recently decided to start regulating all advertising that takes place in the digital world in addition to print.

The online marketing communications world has become their most recent focus due to an increasing number of consumer complaints against company websites.  For instance, campaigns that allow for things such as the price of a product varying significantly on different websites will no longer be tolerated.

It should be noted that it’s not an extremely strict regulatory process and there are exceptions that will not be touched by the ASA at all, such as unpaid marketing, press releases, media alerts and other public relations related matters.  It will; however, include all the major players in social media platforms, namely Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The pro- regulating stance: The rules are not unreasonable and really may do wonders for regulating a somewhat new, yet extremely fast growing industry.

From the nay-sayers: This project does not have the funds to get the word out, so most advertisers will remain in the dark, and nothing will really change.

In determining where you and your company stand on the issue, here are a few points to take into consideration:

• Google has made a monetary contribution, although not with the same push as other companies do with print. This could make a difference in how widely spread this new initiative finds itself.
• Repercussions for not following the code aren’t exactly intense.  Nowhere do they allow for the imposition of fines or the awarding of damages.
• There are; however, some punishments that would have quite an impact on a business’s ability to market itself. SEO adjustments for good and bad campaigns is one that stands out.
• Implementing these regulations could ultimately alter consumer perception of online advertising.  Imagine what that means for an industry rich with consumer generated social media.

You may be thinking that overall, with its lack of forcefulness, these regulations don’t really matter that much, and at present that may be true.  But consider how fast the online marketing industry has grown in just a few short years and how, with some more push and additional seed funding, the ASA’s new policies could quickly impact the digital marketing game.