Our mission and performance

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media. We investigate and adjudicate on potential breaches of the Advertising Codes, and monitor compliance with the rules.

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure that advertising in all media is legal, decent, honest and truthful, to the benefit of consumers, business and society.

We aim to achieve our mission by getting better at regulating ads in all media, and in particular by:

• Making a success of regulating online ads
• Being an effective part of the response to societal issues shown to be affected by advertising
• Placing more emphasis on prevention rather than cure
• Being more efficient and in tune with consumers, business and society 

Our values

Our shared values are to be:

• Consistent and proportionate
• Reliable and ethical
• Fair and respectful to all
• Accessible and helpful
• Intelligent and thorough, but also timely and proportionate
• Open and accountable, acting with integrity and never being afraid to admit when we’re wrong
• An excellent team, inspiring excellence in each other

Our external stakeholders will also find us:

• Independent in administering the Advertising Codes
• Evidence-based, targeted and consistent
• Reflective of society, not a social engineer

Procedures and standards of service

Our procedures are transparent and open to scrutiny. View our detailed complaints handling procedure for both broadcast and non-broadcast advertising.

We also work to published standards of service.  We are committed to:

• Being accessible to members of the public and the advertising industry
• Resolving complaints without undue delay, whilst recognising that complex complaints can take longer than the average
• Being effective in meeting the needs of our customers, whether members of the public or industry
• Delivering a high quality and professional service
• Being open about our procedures and our decision making, and accountable for our performance

Between 2009 and 2011, we conducted a review of our processes and implemented a number of changes to make us more effective and efficient. Read more

Performance figures

You can view our performance against these commitments in our Annual Report (a full year summary), and our Annual Statement (performance in the first half of the year). Download our quarterly updates below: 

ASA performance figures Q4 2012

ASA performance figures Q3 2012

ASA performance figures Q2 2012

ASA performance figures Q1 2012

ASA performance figures Q4 2011

ASA performance figures Q3 2011

ASA performance figures Q2 2011

ASA performance figures Q1 2011  

Complaints about the ASA

We are committed to offering a highly professional, expert and efficient service and regularly receive positive feedback from both complainants and advertisers through our regular surveys. A summary of our customer feedback can be found in the 'Standards of Service' sections of our Annual Report and Annual Statement.

If you are dissatisfied with the ASA's decision on your complaint you may be able to request a review by the Independent Reviewer of ASA Adjudications. View the details of the review procedure here.

Members of ASA staff will at all times identify themselves by name and endeavour to be as polite and helpful as possible. If you think your contact with us has not lived up to the high standards we set ourselves, and you wish to make a complaint you should write to one of the following:

Complaints and Investigations process:

In the first instance please write to:

Miles Lockwood, Director of Complaints and Investigations

For all other matters, please write to:

Chairman of the ASA, Lord Smith of Finsbury, who will look into the matter.

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