Previous action
Previous action

Compliance reporting

IFBA is committed to transparency and accountability and to reporting on members’ compliance with the pledge programmes and evaluating the impact of such programmes.

Global, regional and national reports

Global
Global
The IFBA Global Policy on Marketing Communications to Children

Since 2009, Accenture Media Management has conducted an assessment of IFBA members’ compliance with IFBA’s Global Policy on Marketing Communications to Children, in a globally representative sample of markets. In 2017, five markets were chosen for the assessment – Colombia, India, New Zealand, the Phillippines and South Africa. Accenture reviewed members’ activities in TV and print advertising (in 2016 and 2017). IFBA also piloted a programme with five Self-Regulatory Organizations (SROs) to review members’ compliance on three online platforms : company-owned websites, company-owned YouTube channels and third-party websites. Consistent with prior years, IFBA members continued to demonstrate a high rate of compliance in TV, print and online advertising:

  • 99.6% for television
  • 96% for company-owned websites ; 95% for company-owned YouTube channels ; and 100% for third-party websites ; and
  • 47/48 print publications.
Full report
EU
EU
The EU Pledge
In 2020, EU Pledge members commissioned two independent third parties to monitor implementation and compliance with the pledge commitments: Ebiquity to measure compliance with the commitment on food and beverage advertising on TV, in print and on the internet; and the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) to review members’ brand websites, social media pages and influencer profiles. The EASA monitoring programme was externally reviewed by Professors Liselot Hudders and Dieneke Van de Sompel from Ghent University in Belgium.

This is the twelth annual monitoring report of the EU Pledge and the record of compliance is positive and consistent with previous years. In 2020:

  • 98.7% compliance for TV advertising (in six sample markets – Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain)
  • 98.2% compliance for company-owned brand websites (in eight countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Spain and Sweden; 56 brand websites reviewed)
  • 97.9% compliance for brand social media profiles (in eight countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Spain and Sweden; 142 social media pages reviewed)
  • 100% compliance of influencer profiles (96 influencer profiles reviewed)

The EU Pledge criteria and compliance monitoring has been strengthened over the years to address the evolving market landscape. In February 2021, the EU Pledge added an additional set of nutrition criteria covering plant-based products. These criteria became effective immediately and will be included in the 2021 monitoring report.

Full report
EU
EU
The Union of European Soft Drink Associations (UNESDA)

In 2012/2013, UNESDA appointed the independent monitoring company and broadcast expert, Ebiquity, to audit compliance with its commitments on marketing to children to the European Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The five largest EU markets (representing approximately 65% of the EU population) were monitored: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Ebiquity found UNESDA members were:

  • 99.35% compliant in TV advertising (consistent with the independent audits of 2006 and 2010 which each recorded compliance rates of 99%)
  • 100% compliant in print media (consistent with the 100% compliance level in 2010 and the 99.72% compliance level in 2006)
  • 100% compliant in online media (consistent with the 100% compliance level achieved in 2006 and 2010)
  • 100% compliant in the digisphere; and
  • 95.11% compliant on company-owned websites
Full report
Australia
Australia
The Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative (RCMI) and Quick Service Restaurant Initiative for Responsible Advertising and Marketing to Children (QSRI)

The Australian Food and Grocery Council’s report for 2016 involves two monitoring components: an external audit and complaint adjudications by the Advertising Standards Board (ASB). More than 145,000 hours of television viewing time was examined. Overall, compliance with the RCMI and the QSRI core principles during their seventh year of operation was high, with a compliance rate of 99.25% across both initiatives. Results of the external audit found that the provision of bonus airtime by the television network, the late scheduling of movies and last minute programme changes continue to present compliance issues for signatories. The ASB considered nine cases (all resulting from a single complaint) regarding RCMI and QSRI during 2016 (less than 2% of all cases considered by the ASB). In one case relating to RCMI the ASB determined the ad was found to be in breach of the initiative; the other eight cases were dismissed.

Full report
Canada
Canada
The Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI)
Advertising Standards Canada (Ad Standards), an independent, national industry self-regulatory body administers the CAI and provides assessments of participants’ compliance with their pledge commitments. Ad Standards reported excellent compliance in 2019, consistent with findings over the previous eleven years. Ad Standards also conducts a spot check of children’s television advertising. In 2019, the spot check covered 63 hours of children’s programming during which 1,115 commercials were aired. As in previous years, the analysis showed that the majority of television advertising directed to children was for toys, games, DVDs, in-theatre movies and attractions. 85% of all food and beverage commercials directed primarily to children in 2019 were aired by CAI participants and for CAI-approved products.
Full report
USA
USA
The U.S. Children's Food and Beverage Marketing Initiative (CFBAI) and Children’s Confection Advertising Initiative
In December 2021, the Council of Better Business Bureaus published the 2020 annual compliance and progress report for CFBAI and CCAI. CFBAI independently monitors advertising on TV, print, radio, the internet (including company-owned websites, third-party websites, and child-directed YouTube channels) and mobile apps. The report indicates excellent compliance for the 19 CFBAI participants and 8 CCAI participants. The report also details CFBAI’s revised Core Principles, made in 2020 and 2021, which include a stricter definition of a child-directed audience and expanded digital media coverage to include YouTube and influencer communications. CFBAI’s ad monitoring included an assessment of food and beverage ads on children’s TV networks in 2021. CFBAI participants represented about 74% of all the food and beverage ads and featured nutrient-dense foods that positively contribute to children’s diets. CFBAI monitors participants’ compliance with their individual pledges, including regular assessent of food advertising on children’s TV networks, child-directed websites and other child-directed digital content and other covered media. CFBAI participants are also required to submit annual self-assessments.
Full report
GCC
GCC
GCC Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing to Children Pledge

In 2019, IFBA members based in the GCC commissioned Ipsos UAE to review compliance with their commitment on food and beverage advertising in the UAE and Kindgdom of Saudi Arabia. The data examined continues the 2018 trend of 100% compliance in TV and print and shows an improvement for internet compliance from 99.7% :

  • 100% compliance in TV advertising (413,481 spots reviewed over 113 channels)
  • 100% compliance in print media (168 publications reviewd)
  • 100% compliance on the internet (162 websites reviewed)
Full report
The Swiss Pledge

Media Focus, an independent market research company, has been monitoring Swiss pledge participants’ compliance since the pledge was launched in 2010. The Swiss Pledge companies have reduced TV advertising in the children’s environment by more than 55% since 2012.  Media Focus reported good results in 2020:

  • 99.2% compliance for TV advertising (13,986 spots reviewed)
  • 100% compliance in print media (32 pubications marketed in Switzerland reviewed)
  • 96.3% compliance on brand websites (27 domains were reviewed)
  • 93.1% compliance in social media (58 social media channels reviewed, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter)
Full report