Tech offerings that can aid advertisers in ‘self-declaration’ process

New Delhi: The mandate of the new self-declaration compliance laid out by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting for all advertisements that went out on June 18, 2024, requires that every single ad in outdoor, print, television, and digital media carry a self-declaration alongside.

The process laid out mentions that the agency would require a letter of authorisation (LOA) from the client that enables them to apply for self-declaration. 

This declaration states that any information that is being communicated via the ad is not misleading and is in compliance with the ethical guidelines of MIB. This poses a challenge to mid- and larger-scale digital agencies that publish multiple ads every single day on platforms like Google and Meta for their advertisers.

The process is also quite time-consuming, and in the era of AI, advertisers and agencies seem to be turning their heads towards AI-generated solutions. 

BestMediaInfo.com has curated a few AI-related and tech-related offerings by companies to aid in the self-declaration certificate generation process.  

● Social Pill’s custom GPT

Social Pill developed a custom GPT that aims to help advertisers cut their time spent submitting the self-declaration form to about 3 minutes or less from the traditional 10 to 15 minutes for every single advertisement.  

Under this, the advertiser needs to upload the ad creative to the GPT, and the tool will automatically read the creative and furnish the information that needs to be filled in with regards to the ads. 

By uploading their advertisements, users can quickly generate the necessary content needed for the form with all relevant ad-related information.

This tool works for uploading on the MIB portal as well as on the Press Council website.
 
In an exclusive interaction with BestMediaInfo.com, Neelesh Pednekar, co-founder and head of digital media at Social Pill, explained, “The idea behind this tool was to leverage AI to simplify the lives of advertisers. We saw an opportunity to use our expertise in AI to address a real pain point in the industry.”

“We envision a future where AI plays a more prominent role in the advertising regulatory landscape,” said Rajnish Rawat, co-founder and CEO of Social Pill. “Our tool is a first step in that direction, and we believe it can significantly benefit both advertisers and regulators.”

Both Pednekar and Rawat expressed enthusiasm for the possibility of integrating the tool directly with the portal. They envision a future where the tool analyses creatives, flags potential misleading content, and then seamlessly submits approved declarations to ASCI through an API.  

● Aidem Ventures’ Peach 

Advertisers can directly upload creatives to the Peach platform and utilise their automated QC to meet destination requirements. 
Certificates automatically get attached to their respective creatives and enable certificate access for brands, agencies, broadcasters, and publishers anytime for auditing. 

For broadcasters and publishers, Peach allows access to certificates directly within their existing Peach UI, alongside creatives.

They can view and verify their certificates before, during, or after creative is ingested. 

The platform operates globally and is set up to deliver ads with files attached.

● mFilterIt’s TickR 

mFilterIt TickR, an AI-powered solution, offers automated checks for adherence to various guidelines, including those set by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Surveyor General of India, brand-specific guidelines, and advertising platform best practices. TickR automates compliance monitoring, ensuring all ads are reviewed within minutes.  

“This new mandate underscores the importance of transparency and responsible advertising practices,” said Amit Relan, CEO and co-founder of mFilterIt. He further added, “Advertisers who fail to comply risk legal repercussions and damage to their brand reputation. mFilterIt goes beyond regulatory compliance by offering influencer monitoring. This feature helps identify potential digital advertising and brand guideline violations like ad disclosure mention, etc.”  

TickR streamlines and automates the ad creative compliance checking process before rollout.