India ethical advertising

The pitch for ethical advertising is getting louder. Around 240 individuals, including 50-60 industry leaders, have signed a pledge to create advertising with a conscience.

Industry representatives, under the banner of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), took the pledge to sensitize younger advertising professionals about creating responsible campaigns. CEOs and mid-level managers across sectors and advertising agencies have come forward to support the movement, which began last week at the GoaFest, an annual conclave of advertisers and creative agencies.


This follows the efforts of leading multinational food companies like Coca-Cola India, Hindustan Unilever, Nestle, PepsiCo, Kellogg's and General Mills, which had voluntarily committed to change food advertising for children last year.

"ASCI has been spreading awareness on self-regulation in advertising for many years. We felt the need to broaden the scope so that leaders can act as inspirational role models for youngsters in the industry who are eventually going to create the advertisements," said Rajiv Dube, chairman, ASCI.


When a Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT, or an Arvind Sharma, chairman and CEO, Leo Burnett, or a Mayank Pareek, managing executive officer (sales and marketing), Maruti, takes the pledge, they send out a strong message to the younger team members to create responsible advertising.

ASCI, which has been a self-regulator in advertising for 25 years, has been creating awareness among people over the last few years to come forward and register complaints against advertisements which they feel are misleading, dishonest, unfair or not in good taste. "We have now felt the need to sensitize the young people who join this advertising industry in great numbers every year about creating advertisements with a conscience. The aim is to build consumer confidence in advertising," said Sam Balsara, chairman, Madison World.


While 240 individuals have already taken the pledge, Balsara, who is also a consultative committee member of ASCI, said the council would continue to plead with the industry so that more leaders and individuals come forward to take the pledge.

The pledge reads: "To my organization, business associates, industry and to society at large, I pledge to ensure honesty & truthfulness, decency in advertising, non-exploitation of vulnerable sections of society especially children, fairness in competition. I commit myself to advertising with a conscience."

The CEOs of seven food companies, in a pledge signed last year, had decided to implement company-specific voluntary measures to meet the objective. These measures were in support of parental efforts to promote healthy lifestyles. The companies also agreed that there would be no communication related to products in primary schools, except for the products that fulfil specific nutrition criteria.

Advertise on Sometimes Sweet in February!

Hi everyone,

I thought I would post my ad call a little earlier this month, as about half of my spots are already filled up for February.  So, if you're interested in taking one of the remaining spots, and advertising your shop or blog here on Sometimes Sweet, I would LOVE to have you!  My prices are extremely affordable for the amount of traffic I get, and the feedback I've gotten from my previous sponsors has been that advertising here truly works.

And who might want to advertise on Sometimes Sweet? Anyone! Blogs who want to expand their readership, Etsy shops, small businesses, baby related sites/goods/shops, and anything else you could think of! The list goes on...

Additionally, in February I also will be unveiling a new, fun collaborative project, which means it will be a great time to have your ad visible.

As of today (1/14/11), I receive about 3,600 visits/5,000 page views a day and around 26,000 visits/40,000 views a week. My numbers are consistently and steadily growing- they've grown a LOT even just in the last month.  If you'd like to see a constantly updated number, you can check these stats via my sitemeter, located on the bottom left sidebar, and I encourage you to do so!  I also have 2,502 followers via Blogger, 3,485 subscribers via Google Reader, 1,521 followers on Twitter, and average 10.5 posts per week.  So, by advertising here you will get a lot of exposure. 

There are two different ad packages:

a large ad ($40 a month)

includes:

• prime ad space on the right hand sidebar of Sometimes Sweet (rotating who is on top)
• a spot in my monthly "large ad" sponsor highlight/informational post
• includes one giveaway in my monthly large ad spot giveaway post

and a small ad ($25 a month)

 

includes:

• ad space under the large ads, on the right hand sidebar of Sometimes Sweet
• a spot in my monthly "small ad" sponsor highlight/informational post

I still have a few spots left, so contact me at sometimessweetblog@gmail.com to secure your spot- new ads go up the 1st of each month.

condoms and india

More married couples in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh use condoms, while those in southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu prefer other methods like sterilization to prevent pregnancy. But there's no reason for couples in the north to brag. While they practice safe sex as they've learnt from ad campaigns, experts claim single sex partners down south are, perhaps, being more intelligent.


Family welfare statistics of 2009, released by the ministry of health and family welfare, puts Andhra at the bottom of the list on condom use among married couples, with only 0.5% using them. Karnataka comes next with 1.7%, followed by Tamil Nadu, with 2.3% condom users.

Delhi tops the charts, with a whopping 22.9% of couples using condoms—more than four times the national average of 5.2%. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh follow behind, with 15.5%, 11.8% and 8.6% of couples using them.

In south, the most preferred method of contraception is female sterilization followed by IUD (intrauterine device). Although these states fare poorly in terms of condom use, they rank the highest when it comes to female sterilization and use of IUDs. In fact, AP tops the list, with almost 63% women undergoing sterilization, followed by Karnataka (57.4%) and Tamil Nadu (55%). This could also mean that men make the contraception decision, often asking women to undergo sterilization.

Says VM Katoch, director general of Indian Council of Medical Research and secretary, department of health research, "This is an interesting trend and as more people in south use permanent sterilisation methods, it shows they are making an intelligent decision when it comes to having children. That said, condoms could help prevent reproductive tract infections even in monogamous couples."

Other experts believe women in southern states are probably more aware of alternatives. "I think birth control pills and IUDs are better methods of contraception than condoms. Since women in these states know more about them, they want to try them out," says Dr Priya Selvaraj, a Chennai-based obstetrician and gynaecologist.

The failure rate of condoms is cited as one of the reasons for its low use. "Condoms could fail. Also the couple need to use condoms every time they have intercourse, unlike an IUD where the device can be inserted and forgotten for five years. Condoms are good when trying to prevent HIV and STD, but for monogamous couples, condom may not be the best option," says Dr RV Thenmozhi, gynaecologist at Fortis Malar, Chennai.

November Sponsor Giveaway!

Happy November everyone! Today is a super special day for me, number one because this is the month in which our son will be born...and number two, this is the very first month I am doing sponsorship/ads here on Sometimes Sweet! This is all a learning process for me, so as time goes by the way I do this may change, but for this first month, here's how this is going to work:

All of the following (AMAZING) shops and blogs are my larger sponsors, and they are each offering one item for this huge, multiple-winner giveaway! All you have to do is the following:

Leave your name and email address in the comments.

*(and see below for a way to get one additional entry too!)

Yup! That's it! On Monday, November 22nd I will pick 9 different winners at random, who will win the different prizes. I didn't want to get super complicated, and next month I may do separate giveaway posts, or have one big winner who wins everything. But this month I will be choosing nine names...so you have a GREAT chance at winning any one of these super-neat items! Again, simply leave your name and email in the comments to enter.

To get one additional entry, you can blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave an additional comment with a link to that blog or tweet, along with your contact info again.

So overall you can put your name into the drawing twice.

I am just so excited about each and every one of these amazing shops. I got such a big, big response about sponsoring my blog and I am so pleased to present these wonderful women as my very first sponsors here. I also have seven more sites I will be highlighting in my "small ad" post later this week, so you'll have seven more shops/blogs to check out as well. Many of you know I've been thinking about doing this for a long time, so I am just over the moon happy about bringing all of these great people to you, and supporting local/small/handmade businesses and blogs. In the future I am most likely going to keep my ads to a smaller amount, but this first month I thought I would do a few more than I normally would.

Be sure to check out my sidebar for all of the new, wonderful buttons I have displayed there, and give each one a little click and say hello!

And now, without further ado, below you will find a small description of each shop, as well as the item or items they are graciously giving away. The links for each blog/shop can be found by clicking the shop/blog name, and also grouped under the first photo. Have fun exploring and clicking around, and good luck!

1) I'm Kyla Roma, a twenty-something prairie girl living under the biggest sky I've ever seen. When I'm not blogging I'm designing blogs with Freckled Nest and running my etsy shop, A Little Thistle. I'm a black tea aficionado, life long vegetarian, tattooed lady, puppy mama and photography addict trying to live joyfully in every moment I've got.


http://www.kylaroma.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/alittlethistle

Giveaway item: Penny Farthing Bicycle Necklace


2) Doodle creates custom, modern and affordable paper goods you won't find anywhere else. We love to make stationery, recipe cards and custom invitations which we mail directly to your door. Each design is original, each card is hand cut and we strive for great quality and quick turnaround!


http://www.doodlepapergoods.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DoodlePaperGoods

Giveaway items: Teal Arrow Stationery Set of 8 and the Purple Beads Stationery Set of 8. The sets each include 8 cards and 8 brown Kraft paper envelopes.


3) Studio M.M.E. is a quirky pen and ink art shop where you can find everything from antlered girls to hungry moons. Run by illustrator Megan M. Eckman, the shop abounds with humor, childish play, and the feeling of nostalgia thanks to the mostly black and white prints. For those who are still children at heart, Studio M.M.E. offers a wild visual thrill that embraces those old games of pretend.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/studiomme

Giveaway item: one 5" x 7" print of "Imogene Coming Home"


4) Tumbleweeds Oddities is a marketplace created by Beca Lewis Skeels and Doug Switalski, two southern transplants with a big heart for junk yards and recycled art. From our recovered earth-friendly leather and (vegan) vinyl bike saddles to our hodgepodge collection of vintage and recycled curios, oddities and recovered taxidermy, you can find a whole mess of curiosities in our shop for any collection, at every price range.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/tumbleweedsoddities
http://www.curiositiesandthelike.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/tumbleweedsoddities

Giveaway item: Hot Pink Recovered Suede Bike Saddle handmade entirely from recycled materials (don't worry Vegan friends, all of our leather products are vintage or recovered from the scrap bin and recycled for posterity, we love animals!!) - Worth: $50.00

5) Hi everyone! Over at Happy Owl we are so glad to sponsor the lovely, long time blog friend Danielle! Happy Owl is a warm little space for me to share my musings, our loves, our two young boys and our wild life. We were born and raised in California and are living our dreams in Juneau, Alaska.


http://juneauecomommie.blogspot.com/

Giveaway items: "Alaska Autumn Favorites": Here are a few of my favorite things to share with you; a pair of fabulous metal candle holders (perfect plain or craftily recreated by you), cozy custard fingerless handwarmers made by me, a set of adorable vintage apple tea cups and a surprise gift also made by me. Enjoy!


6) My name is Susannah Bean and I live in the midwest with my hilarious boyfriend Chris and our adorable kitty Mr. Littlejeans. I taught myself how to knit and crochet, and I like to make things that I can't find anywhere else! I have a blog about my life and crafts, and my shop is full of cute and cozy accessories.


http://susannahbean.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/susannahbean

Giveaway item: one pair of fingerless mitts (I call them The Lady Mitts, but it's a terrible name haha)


7) Pleasantly Plump [Knits.] is a combination of my love for knitting & all things sweet & plump!! Each pair of booties are hand-knit with love & personality for your baby's tiny toes!


http://www.etsy.com/shop/pleasantlyplumpknits
http://www.pocketfulofpretty.com/

Giveaway item: Gift Certificate for one pair of custom plump booties

8) Hello Dearie is a fiber arts company that designs original dolls and other textile goods. This mother-in-law/daughter-in-law team enjoy collaborating on new ideas and creating together.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/hellodearie

Giveaway item: This is our Elf OFF the shelf. He doesn't just sit on the shelf; he is ready for fun...and just in time for the holidays!


9) Gypsy 05 is more than an artistic statement; it is an expression that stands to make a difference in the world. "good planets are hard to find" is the motto that began Gypsy05's exploration to fight against environmental exploitation. Through the art of fashion, Gypsy 05 aims to communicate that the beauty of nature is a marvel. Gypsy's one of a kind designs incorporate organic fabrics, low impact dyes, and water based printing in every collection as part of our mission in environmental awareness. Our story suggests the importance of smelling the roses rather than picking them; of getting inspired by the beauty of the vast ocean rather than polluting it. The message is to Recycle, Reduce, Re-planet and feel naturally confident and free while living environmentally friendly.


http://www.gypsy05.com/shop/index.aspx

Giveaway item: a surprise Gypsy pack worth $225! The winner will provide their size, and Gypsy 05 will provide a fabulous prize pack full of adorable clothing.


So don't forgot, just leave your name and email to enter once, and you can come back and enter a second time by leaving your name/email again in that second comment, along with the link to a blog post or tweet about this great giveaway!

Good luck! :)

p.s., If you are curious about advertising YOUR shop or blog here for the busy retail month of December, I will make a call for ads on November 15th (they'll go quickly!), so keep your eyes peeled. If you'd like to get a jump start and reserve your spot, email me at sometimessweetblog@gmail.com and be sure to check out my ad info page here.

Giveaway winnner AND ad-space is now open!

Congratulations to the large ad-space give away winner, Dawn Trest!

Dawn, I will add you to my email that I will be sending out on Sunday in regards to all the info I need from you to get your sponsorship going. I'm so excited to work with you, promote your adorable shop, and host a giveaway. I will be talking to you soon!

AND, ad space/sponsorship is now OPEN! See below for details and contact information.

I'm going to be doing this on a month to month basis, and based on my traffic these starting/initial rates are an extremely smoking deal! I posted info about my stats here, but if you're ever curious, a quick way to check is to visit the sitemeter button on the lower left hand side of my page for up to the minute numbers or you can always shoot me an email.

Here's how it will be broken down for this first month:

Large ad - $30 a month (this 1st month/promo rate is a cheaper price than the regular rate that will begin in December)



includes:

• prime ad space on the top left hand sidebar of Sometimes Sweet (rotating who is on top)
  
• a spot in my monthly "large ad" sponsor highlight/informational post
• includes one giveaway in my monthly large ad spot giveaway post with multiple winners

Small ad - $15 a month (this 1st month/promo rate is a cheaper price than the regular rate that will begin in December)

• includes: ad space under the large ads, on the left hand sidebar of Sometimes Sweet
• a spot in my monthly "small ad" sponsor highlight/informational post

And who might want to advertise here? Anyone! Blogs who want to expand their readership, Etsy shops, small businesses, baby related sites/goods/shops, and anything else you could think of! The list goes on...

For this first month I am taking a limited amount of spots so email me at sometimessweetblog@gmail.com if you are interested by this SUNDAY. I will be finalizing my sponsor list and sending out the informational email with payment details, etc. on Monday.

I am SO excited about this and I am really looking forward to all of it.

So again, email at sometimessweetblog@gmail.com by Sunday if you'd like to purchase a SMALL or LARGE ad.

xoxo,
Danielle

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