Information for Media
Our role
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulates advertising in New Zealand. We are a self-regulatory body which sets the standards for advertising, and supports responsible advertising through industry education, resources and a consumer complaints process.
Any person can make a complaint to the ASA about advertisements on media platforms which may be in breach of the ASA Codes. The free-to-consumer complaints process, which includes both adjudication and appeal, is described here.
Our structure
The Chair of the ASA Governance Board is Kerrie-Lee Magill. The Governance Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the ASA and ensuring it is properly operated and funded.
The ASA has six staff and the Chief Executive, Hilary Souter, is the spokesperson for the organisation.
The Advertising Standards Complaints Board (ASCB) is a nine-member board, with five public members and four industry members. Raewyn Anderson, a public member, is the Chair of the ASCB and reviews the complaints.
The Advertising Standards Complaints Appeal Board (ASCAB) is a three-member Board, with two public members and one industry member. Nanette Moreau is a public member and Chair of the ASCAB and is responsible for deciding whether appeals have met the grounds for appeal to be accepted.
Funding
The ASA is an incorporated society and is funded through member subscriptions from industry associations, and advertiser and media levies, linked to ad revenue. Our membership includes industry associations for advertisers, agencies, marketers and media companies. The membership is not involved in Complaints or Appeal Board decisions.
ASA jurisdiction and scope
The ASA is part of the regulatory framework for advertising in New Zealand. Our role is complementary to legislation. Information about some of the Acts that restrict advertising is available here.
More details on our jurisdiction can be found here.
Complaints process
The ASA dealt with over 1500 queries in 2023, including 1086 complaints about 313 ads. More details on volume and type of complaints submitted can be found in the ASA Annual Report.
If a complaint is upheld, a request to remove the advertisement is issued to the advertiser and media company (if relevant). This can directly impact an advertiser’s marketing plan and often results in negative publicity and subsequent reputational damage.
The ASA does not fine advertisers or order corrective advertising. This would require a different and significantly more complex process which would take longer. Our average time to deal with most complaints is two to three weeks.
Decisions are released to the public on our website, our LinkedIn page, and via our Decisions Release email list – you can sign up to receive this here.
Accessing previous ASA Decisions
Recent decisions are published and searchable on our website. A database of decisions dating back to 1991 are available on the New Zealand Legal Information Institute website.
Media queries regarding advertising
Media queries can be directed to communications@asa.co.nz. The ASA is unable to comment on whether an advertisement is in breach of the Codes until an ASCB decision has been released.
Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.
Recent media articles that mention the ASA can be found here.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions.
