In-depth: How AI is revolutionizing self-declaration process amid easing of norms by MIB

Amid fast-changing developments, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued a new advisory, wherein submission of the self-declaration certificates has been limited to food and health ads. Moreover, advertisers in these two sectors need to upload annual SDCs instead of every ad released.

This has provided immense relief to the advertisers and ad agencies that have been struggling with the huge workload of filling up and uploading SDCs on the Broadcast Seva and Press Council of India portals, among other challenges.

However, there still are several grey areas as to what all will be included in the health and food sectors.

Addressing some of the pain points, a few companies are offering AI-powered solutions for empowering advertisers to meet the Self-Declaration Mandate (SDC) of the Supreme Court with ease via automated compliance monitoring. In this industry report, Adgully explores how advertisers and agencies are leveraging AI and automation to maintain compliance with the SDC mandate.

Speaking on how AI and automation are helping to ease agencies’ compliance with the SDC mandate, Amit Relan, Co-Founder and CEO, mFilterIt, shared, “We have been monitoring creative compliance from reputed brands across industries and geographies, way before the self-declaration mandate by the Supreme Court of India. The mandate of submitting a Self-declaration certificate (SDC) is to ensure that there is “no misleading information”. This mandate requires brands to check multiple creatives in a matter of minutes for various guidelines and automating the process requires advanced AI-ML tech that can identify images, emotions, texts, logos, symbols, etc. mFilterIt TickR, a creative compliance monitoring tool ensures that the checks for compliance get automated with AI-ML-driven tech. We simplify creative compliance, a task that takes days can be done swiftly with automated checks for adherence to various guidelines, including those set by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Surveyor General of India, brand-specific guidelines, and advertising platform best practices.”

Discussing the AI offerings of Social Pill helping to streamline compliance with the self-declaration mandate, Neelesh Pednekar, Co-Founder & Head of Digital Media, Social Pill, said, “The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting mandates that all advertisements from June 18, 2024, must include a self-declaration across outdoor, print, TV, and digital media. This requires a letter of authorization (LOA) from the client to confirm that all ad information is truthful and compliant with MIB's ethical guidelines. This presents a challenge for digital agencies producing numerous daily ads on platforms such as Google and Meta. The new regulations have significantly increased the workload for the industry, requiring detailed forms on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) portal, including ad descriptions, scripts, and other specific details. The dynamic nature of digital advertising makes this a daunting task.”

He further added, “Anticipating this challenge, we began working on a solution in the second week of May, following the Supreme Court directive on self-declaration for advertisers. Since this applies to all creatives and advertising, we thought, is there a way to simplify this to try and save time wherever it is possible? Recognizing the responsibility of advertising in influencing the public, Social Pill developed an AI-driven approach to streamline compliance. Our custom GPT tool, built on ChatGPT, reduces the time needed to submit self-declaration forms for ads from 10-15 minutes to about 3 minutes. The advertiser needs to upload the ad creative/image ad and this GPT will read the image and automatically generate the relevant fields for MIB Self Declaration. It is also compliant with both the press council as well as MIB. It not only helps fill in the details on the MIB portal, but also assists advertisers in self-declaring on the Press Council website. The GPT is open for brands as well as agencies. Anyone can access and upload images of their ads to the GPT tool at https://bit.ly/MIBSelfDeclarationGPT. We haven’t patented it yet, as it is more of a give-back to the industry. While we are working on multiple custom GPTs that we plan to patent, this GPT will always be free and accessible for everyone in the marketing and advertising industry. In terms of the stand of Social Pill, this tool will put us out there as one of the few AI-forward agencies. We have been using AI and custom GPTs for creatives, voiceovers, analytics, and targeting for almost 9 months now for almost all our clients.  By leveraging AI technology, Social Pill aims to make compliance simpler and easier, reducing the burden on executives managing campaigns. This proactive approach aligns with our commitment to responsible advertising and efficient business practices.”

Naresh Gupta, Founder & Managing Partner, Bang In The Middle, remarked, “The AI tools can help you in creating the entries for SDC, so it does help in cutting down some work, so for media agencies who run many search copies in a day, this helps. However, the process of uploading and getting the ref number still requires actual work to complete. In our case, the clients are taking care of SDC, we are not doing it for any of our clients. There is a cost, and there is a cost even if the clients do it, it takes effort, machine time, internet bandwidth, there is no escaping the cost.”

Joydeep Sen, Thinking Director, Speaking Mirror, pointed out, “The Self-Declaration process often involves repetitive tasks like data gathering and document preparation. This is where AI and automation come into play. AI can automate data collection from various sources, eliminating the need for manual entry. Imagine a system that automatically retrieves information from your internal systems, financial records, and even government databases! This not only saves a significant amount of time but also minimizes the risk of errors that can occur during manual data entry. Furthermore, AI can automate the generation of Self-Declaration certificates (SDC). With AI-powered tools, you can leverage the collected data to generate pre-filled certificates with accurate and consistent information. This eliminates the need for manual document creation and ensures all necessary information is present, saving time and resources for your agency.”

“AI and automation can be a game-changer for agencies struggling with the SDC mandate. Imagine AI-powered tools that automatically review ad creatives – text, images, and videos – for compliance with advertising regulations. These tools can flag potential issues before submission, saving time and avoiding costly rejections. Additionally, automation can streamline the SDC creation and upload process itself. By automating data entry and certificate generation, agencies can submit SDCs quickly and efficiently, even for high-volume campaigns. This frees them up to focus on creative strategy and client service,” noted Bhavik Mehta, CEO, Thinkin’ Birds Communications.

Rashi Ray, Director, Response India, too, said that AI and automation can make it much easier to comply with Self-Declaration mandates (SDC). “It makes the advertising more responsible and advertisers more truthful,” she added.

“AI and automation have been game-changers for us at our creative agency when it comes to complying with the Self-Declaration mandate (SDC). These technologies streamline the process of generating and uploading certificates, making it quicker and more accurate. By automating tasks like content analysis and certificate creation, AI frees up our team to focus on creativity and strategic planning, rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks,” said Ayush Wadhwa, Founder, OWLED Media.

Payal Nambiar, Founder and Director, B Square, noted, “Agencies and advertisers are facing significant challenges in navigating the complex Self-Declaration of Compliance (SDC) mandate, particularly in the highly fragmented media landscape. However, the implementation of AI-based solutions is proving to be a game-changer in easing this process. AI-powered tools can drive efficiency and ease the SDC process by automating compliance checks. These tools leverage natural language processing and frame recognition to flag non-compliant text, images, and graphic elements in ad creatives. This proactive approach ensures creative and content compliance, addressing the concerns raised by advertisers. We have successfully deployed these AI-based solutions for multiple brands across various industry segments, including e-commerce, FMCG, banking, and electronics. Embracing AI and automation is the way forward for agencies and advertisers to navigate the complexities of the SDC mandate and maintain compliance without compromising creativity and innovation.”

Dr Ravi Changle, Director - AI & Emerging Technology, Compunnel, said, “The mandate requiring advertisers and advertising agencies to upload self-declaration certificates (SDCs) for every advertisement across different media channels has introduced significant compliance challenges. This mandate has resulted in a noticeable reduction in the volume of advertisements and raised concerns about client confidentiality. In response, the industry has started developing AI-based tools to streamline the SDC submission process.Advertisers face multiple challenges under the current system. First, the volume and frequency of SDC uploads are overwhelming, requiring multiple submissions daily. Second, the process of filling out and uploading these certificates is complex and user-unfriendly. Third, the official portals designated for SDC uploads are often slow and unreliable. Additionally, there are serious concerns regarding the security and confidentiality of client information. These challenges have led some advertisers to pause their activities, impacting innovation and creativity in the advertising sector.”

 

The AI way

According to Amit Relan, “Flagging off non-compliant text, image, and graphic elements of the creative with Natural Language Processing and Frame Recognition also drives efficiency. It checks creative Pre-Flight before publication, all brands have to do is upload creatives for an automated check with some key parameters, like platform, region, etc. Our AI- ML tech-driven tool will check and flag off any non-compliance on Regulatory Adherence. It helps performance Improvement, protects Brand Image, and ensures creative consistency  & quality. Monitoring regulatory guidelines and best practices as per platforms & type of ads post-flight, live-campaign helps analyze the acceptance & adoption of your creatives once they are rolled out and examines how it affects the efficacy of both media and content. Understand what works like messaging, design, audience, etc. across different platforms for better and more insightful content creation. AI-driven automation makes the process of validation of creatives and submitting SDC swift, hassle-free, and more efficient.”

Joydeep Sen highlighted some key ways in which AI can be leveraged for efficiency:

Leveraging AI for Efficiency

Option A: Utilizing AI for Streamlined Self-Declaration Many agencies have embraced AI to streamline their Self-Declaration processes. These AI-powered tools have resulted in significant benefits:

• Increased Efficiency: Automating data collection, document generation, and uploads has significantly reduced the overall time and resources needed to complete Self-Declarations. This allows teams to shift their focus toward more strategic tasks that require human expertise.
• Enhanced Accuracy: AI minimizes human error in data entry and ensures consistent information across certificates. This leads to fewer errors and rejections, resulting in a smoother and faster Self-Declaration process (SDC).
• Cost Optimization: Streamlining the process reduces manual labor costs associated with data collection, document generation, and uploads. This translates to cost savings for the agency, allowing for potential reinvestment in other areas.

Option B: Exploring AI for Future Implementation

While some agencies have not yet adopted dedicated AI solutions, they recognize the potential for increased efficiency and accuracy. Exploring AI options allows them to prepare for future implementation and reap the benefits of a more streamlined Self-Declaration process.

Bhavik Mehta said, “Keeping up with the ever-changing advertising landscape can be a challenge. But integrating AI for self-declaration certificates (SDCs) has been a lifesaver. Before AI, our team spent countless hours manually reviewing ad content for compliance, cross-checking regulations, and then meticulously filling out those darn SDCs. It was tedious, prone to errors, and frankly, ate into our creative time. Now, the process is night and day different with our new AI tool. The system scans our ad content – text, images, the whole package – and flags potential compliance issues. This allows us to address them upfront, saving us from costly rejections. Plus, the system automates a large chunk of the SDC creation itself. Data entry is a breeze, certificates are generated with minimal fuss, and uploads are a snap. This has freed up our team in a major way. We are no longer bogged down by paperwork, allowing us to focus on what we do best – crafting amazing content for ourclients. It's a win-win – we meet compliance requirements efficiently, and our clients benefit from our renewed creative energy.”

“So far, we have been using AI to improve elements in design, the way we may use Photoshop to improve an image. But we have not yet used it for SDC. It is still very new,” said Rashi Ray.

Ayush Wadhwa pointed out, “AI and automation represent a transformative opportunity for our creative agency when it comes to complying with the Self-Declaration mandate (SDC). By leveraging AI to automate the generation of certificates through advanced content analysis, we anticipate significant efficiency boosts. While we have yet to use AI, we are sure that this technology will ensure precision and compliance in our certificates, crucial for maintaining industry standards. With AI handling these tasks, our team will have more bandwidth to focus on creating innovative campaigns and delivering exceptional value to our clients.”

“AI and automation are revolutionizing the SDC process, making it more efficient and streamlined than ever before. Yes, we are using multiple AI platforms to fulfill the requirements of the self-declaration certificates and uploading them. Our experience with these cutting-edge technologies has helped us navigate the process with ease, increasing efficiency and reducing the time and effort required. By leveraging the power of AI, we can now generate the necessary documentation, gather the required information, and submit the SDC forms with unprecedented speed and accuracy. This not only saves our clients valuable time and resources but also ensures that the process is completed correctly the first time, minimizing the risk of errors or delays. Moreover, the integration of automation into the SDC workflow has eliminated the need for manual data entry, freeing up our team to focus on more strategic and value-added tasks. This has resulted in a significant improvement in our overall productivity and the quality of the services we provide,” said Payal Nambiar.

Dr Ravi Changle shared, “Compunnel AI offers a comprehensive solution that can be effectively used to fulfill the requirements of self-declaration certificates (SDCs) and streamline their uploading process. Our advanced AI solution is designed to address the specific challenges faced by agencies in this domain:

• Automated Compliance: Our AI solution automates the entire SDC process – from data entry to submission. This automation ensures that all necessary information is accurately captured and submitted without manual intervention, significantly reducing the time and effort required from agency staff.
• Efficiency and Speed: By leveraging machine learning algorithms, our Solution can handle high volumes of SDC submissions swiftly and accurately. This capability minimizes delays and ensures that compliance is maintained seamlessly, even during peak times.
• Error Reduction: Manual data entry is prone to errors, which can lead to non-compliance and potential penalties. Our AI solution mitigates this risk by validating the data in real-time and ensuring that all entries meet regulatory standards before submission.
• Secure Data Handling: We prioritize data security and confidentiality. Our solution employs advanced encryption and secure access controls to protect client information. Additionally, blockchain technology is used to ensure the integrity and immutability of uploaded certificates.
• User-Friendly Interface: Our Solution features an intuitive user interface that simplifies the SDC submission process. Interactive training modules and real-time support via AI-driven chatbots and human experts help users navigate the system effortlessly.
• Scalability: Designed to scale with your agency's needs, our cloud-based solution ensures high availability and performance. Whether handling a few submissions or thousands, our platform maintains optimal efficiency.
• Continuous Improvement: Feedback mechanisms within our Solution allow users to report issues and suggest improvements. This feedback is used to continuously update and refine our AI models, ensuring that the solution remains responsive to user needs and regulatory changes.”

The cost involved in the automation process

Amit Relan pointed out, “The automated process utilizes a credit-based system where compliance checks consume credits purchased by the brand.  But the true value goes beyond the initial cost. It safeguards the wastage of marketing efforts and ad spending, along with covering various aspects of brand safety and reputation damage prevention. Reduced overall costs by automating brand protection tasks lead to significant efficiency gains. Manual processes require intensive efforts and are prone to human error. Automation minimizes these costs while ensuring consistent, accurate brand protection. Brand reputation is a valuable asset. Automated checks help prevent costly and time-consuming damage control efforts by catching issues early.”

“ChatGPT is available for free at https://bit.ly/MIBSelfDeclarationGPT. It is available to pro users and also 3.5 (free) users can use it, however with the restrictions of time/ prompts that ChatGPT has put on the free tier. It will always be free till it is on the ChatGPT store. At some point, if we build a custom integrated portal with the GPT to automate the entire MIB and Press Council SDC, we might put a small subscription to it. This however will not be for profit but only to offset the server and bandwidth costs,” said Neelesh Pednekar.

According to Joydeep Sen, long-term gains outweigh initial costs. The cost of implementing AI for Self-Declaration processes can vary depending on several factors:

• Complexity of the AI solution: More sophisticated tools with advanced features will carry a higher cost.
• Subscription fees: Many AI solutions operate on a subscription model with monthly or annual fees.
• Internal modifications: Depending on existing infrastructure, integrating an AI solution might require additional IT costs. However, the long-term benefits of AI often outweigh the initial investment. Increased efficiency, reduced errors, and the ability to focus on more strategic work contribute to a positive return on investment. For many agencies, the moderate initial cost is justified by the significant long-term gains in terms of time, resources, and accuracy.

“While AI for SDCs offers amazing efficiency, it is not without its costs,” said Bhavik Mehta, adding, “There’s the initial investment for the tool itself, and potentially additional training or integration fees if it doesn't mesh perfectly with our existing software. The good news is that these costs can be balanced by the benefits. With AI handling reviews and data entry, our team saves precious time, leading to cost savings in the long run. Fewer errors from automation also mean less rework and happier clients. Ultimately, it is about weighing the upfront investment against the potential for increased efficiency, reduced errors, and improved client service.”

While Rashi Ray said, “We understand that it can improve efficiency in SDCs”, at the same time he was not able to comment accurately on how it may impact cost.”

Ayush Wadhwa emphasized, “We are excited about the potential of AI to revolutionize how we handle Self-Declaration certificates (SDC). Implementing AI promises to streamline our operations, enhance accuracy, and ensure seamless compliance with regulatory requirements. While there are initial setup costs and possibly ongoing maintenance expenses involved, the efficiency gains and improved outcomes justify these investments. This approach isn’t just about saving resources; it is about elevating our capabilities and setting new standards for excellence in our industry.”

“Automation and AI are transforming the software development and deployment process, making it more efficient and cost-effective. The cost of the automated process is significantly lower compared to the traditional manual approach, allowing companies to allocate resources more effectively. AI-powered tools can handle repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and provide real-time insights, freeing up developers to focus on more strategic and innovative work. This increased efficiency translates to faster time-to-market, improved quality, and reduced operational expenses. By embracing AI and automation, organizations can optimize the software development and continuous deployment (SDC) lifecycle, gaining a competitive edge in today's fast-paced digital landscape. The future of software development lies in the seamless integration of human expertise and intelligent automation,” said Payal Nambiar.

Dr Ravi Changle concluded by saying, “The cost factors involved in implementing an automated process for compliance with the Self-Declaration mandate (SDC) can vary, but generally include several key components. Initially, there are costs for software licensing and subscriptions, which cover the purchase or ongoing fees for AI and automation software. Implementation and integration expenses can also be significant, including the cost of integrating AI tools into existing systems and customizing them to meet specific compliance requirements. Training and support are crucial for ensuring that staff can effectively use the new tools, adding another layer of cost for initial training and ongoing support services. Infrastructure and hardware upgrades may be necessary to support AI applications, especially if the solution is cloud-based, incurring additional cloud service fees. Effective data management, including storage and security, is essential to comply with relevant regulations, leading to further costs. Finally, professional services such as consulting, implementation audits, and optimization assessments can add to the overall expense. While these costs can be substantial upfront, the long-term benefits of increased efficiency, reduced manual labor, and improved compliance accuracy often justify the investment.”

Also read: Madison Media elevates Vinay Hedge to CEO – Investments