What to Think: Advertising in Singapore

Advertising has the power to influence consumer buying behavior, and of course, that is an activity that must be regulated. It takes very little imagination to understand that advertising regulation is fundamental to business and that business would be much more difficult without it. As a general example, were there no rules against false advertising, it would obviously put the consumer at risk of faulty or dangerous products, as well as increase the difficulty of doing business by eliminating part of the basis for trust between consumers and businesses.

Therefore, it is totally unsurprising that Singapore has such regulations; however, true to form, some of the regulations published by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) are probably a bit different from analogous rulebooks elsewhere, as the ASAS specifies social values and norms for ads in some detail. That is, not only does it prescribe how advertisers should behave, but also how advertisers should influence consumer's perceptions and social behavior.

Generally, the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP) sets the guiding principles for ASAS and "seeks to promote a high standard of ethics in advertising through industry self-regulation." This means ASAS offers fee-based consulting to firms on SCAP code compliance and also provides a way for professionals and members of the general public to file complaints against those who violate the code.

While most of the SCAP is fairly standard and takes the obvious position that "all advertisements should be legal, decent, honest and truthful," it does contain some unusual material which can be said unique to Singapore's cultural and legal environment and interesting to anyone doing business here. I have excerpted a few choice passages below.

1.4 All advertisements shall not subvert the shared values in Singapore’s society including:

(a) Nation before community and society above self;
(b) Family as the basic unit of society;
(c) Community support and respect for the individual;
(d) Consensus, not conflict; and
(e) Racial and religious harmony.

1.5 All advertisements shall not subvert Singapore’s family values of:

(a) Love, care, and concern;
(b) Mutual respect;
(c) Filial responsibility;
(d) Commitment; and
(e) Communication.

9.1 Advertisements should not:

(a) Downplay the importance of patriotism and national unity;
(b) Misinterpret national policies and goals for the benefit of any individual;
(c) Distort the perception of Singaporeans and the quality of life in Singapore;
(d) Distort the perceptions of citizens’ influence in national issues;
(e) Discredit or be derogatory to Singapore as a democratic country or in any other way.

9.2 Advertisements should not promote or condone rude and inconsiderate behaviour. Advertisements should not downplay the importance of having a caring and compassionate attitude for the less fortunate members of the community.
9.3 Advertisements should not adopt or encourage a confrontational approach to resolving societal conflicts or differences. Advertisements should not exploit or fuel conflicts relating to national problems and controversial policies or issues.
9.4 Advertisements should be handled sensitively to minimise misinterpretation of intentions on ethnic issues. Advertisements should not jeopardise interethnic understanding or discriminate against any ethnic group or religion, or downplay the importance of mutual dependence amongst all groups.

10.1 Advertisements should not:

(a) Downplay the importance of the family as a unit and foundation of society;
(b) Undermine the perception of the family as a place of comfort and security;
(c) Discredit mutual love, affection and support amongst family members.

10.2 Advertisements should not encourage inconsiderate and disrespectful conduct amongst family members.
10.3 Advertisements should not denounce or discourage the responsibilities of honouring, supporting and providing for one’s parents and grandparents in their old age.
10.4 Advertisements should not undermine the willingness among family members to stand by one another through ups and downs.
10.5 Advertisements should not erode or downplay the importance of communication amongst family members in building trust and understanding.