Initiatives To Strengthen Self-Regulation Of Advertising To Children.

The National Advertising Review Council (NARC) announced key initiatives for the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB).

In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), NARC, which sets policies and procedures for CARU, outlined actions that will strengthen CARU operations and will help determine the proper selfregulatory response to new marketing practices aimed at children. These initiatives are designed to better serve consumers and the children’s advertising industry.

“The joint FTC and Department of Health and Human Services Workshop (HHS) on Marketing, Self-Regulation and Childhood Obesity launched a comprehensive dialogue on childhood obesity. As FTC Chair Deborah Platt Majoras noted, parents, consumer advocates, health experts, government and industry must work together in the interest of the health and well-being of children. The advertising selfregulatory system is prepared to play its part,” said James R. Guthrie, NARC President and CEO.

“During the Workshop, the GMA offered many positive suggestions that are reflected in these initiatives. We welcome the GMA’s support. We also encourage all companies that advertise to children to participate in the ongoing dialogue to ensure an effective, independent and transparent system of self-regulation,” Guthrie said.

With the policy oversight of the NARC Board of Directors, CARU has taken a number of important steps to strengthen self-regulation:

More Visible, User-Friendly CARU Complaint Process: CARU, through the CBBB, has linked a new and expanded complaint form to the “File a Complaint” pages of more than 100 Better Business Bureaus, as well as to BBBOnLine, accessed through the BBB’s main Website, http://www.bbb.org

Free Access for Non-Profits: The general public is welcome to obtain individual case decisions free upon request. Now, CARU is developing a system to allow publicinterest and educational institutions and organizations to access the case archive through free subscriptions.

Expanded Pre-Screening for Business: CARU makes voluntary pre-screening of advertising in all forms available to CARU Supporters. Now, that service will be available at a nominal fee to companies that are not CARU Supporters.

Larger Pool of Child-Health Experts: CARU will add members to its recently expanded Academic Advisory Board, which includes experts in nutrition, child mental health, cognitive development, marketing and communications. CARU relies on the expert advice of this board in determining whether to open cases when ads present questions about children’s perceptions or nutrition. Ensure CARU’s Guidelines Address Certain Marketing Practices: NARC has asked CARU to examine significant issues in children’s advertising and marketing that include:

• Interactive online games, computer games, video games. A task force examining interactive online games is expected to present its findings to CARU later this month. CARU also is exploring efficient ways to monitor advertising addressed to children through computer and video games.

• Paid product placement in children’s television programming.

NARC has asked CARU to assemble a task force to evaluate GMA’s suggestion to prohibit paid product placement.

• Appropriate use of third-party licensed characters. While “host selling” is prohibited under CARU Guidelines, the
broader issue of third-party licensing involves a number of industry segments and constituents, who would offer valuable and necessary input. NARC has directed CARU to gather that input.