Pioneering Initiative Spotlights Media’s Role in Safety and Responsibility in India
Mumbai, 10 October 2023: IPG Mediabrands, the media holding company within Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) today unveiled its inaugural Media Responsibility Index (MRI) in India, marking a significant milestone in India’s media landscape by championing responsible media practices. Collaboratively compiled by IPG Mediabrands and its intelligence arm, MAGNA, the MRI aims to elevate awareness and set a higher industry standard for safety in advertising for both brands and consumers. It serves as a guiding resource for marketers, allowing them to prioritize brand and consumer safety in their investment decisions across diverse media platforms.
Hema Malik, Chief Investment Officer, IPG Mediabrands India, commented, “The MRI India is a testament to our commitment to responsible media practices in India. Our MRI report propels responsible media practices to the forefront of India’s media landscape, providing brands and marketers with essential tools to navigate the media terrain conscientiously. It reaffirms our dedication to ethical advertising, safety, and shared responsibility in media. While we take pride in Indian media companies leading in Safety and corporate responsibility, the MRI also underscores the imperative for Digital Platforms to elevate their efforts in Data Ethics. It highlights that while Indian media excels in several areas, there’s room to advance Sustainability and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, further progressing responsible media practices in our country.”
The MRI India evaluates media platforms across four crucial Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aligned priorities: Safety, Inclusivity, Sustainability, and Data Ethics. This comprehensive approach equips brands to make discerning investment decisions, with consideration for brand and consumer safety in media strategies. The survey encompasses an extensive questionnaire containing over 200 questions, covering key principles such as promote respect, children’s wellbeing, misinformation, and data collection & use, providing a deep-dive analysis of each platform’s performance within these domains.
The response from media platforms is a weighted index of all 10 principles across 4 priorities: Safety, Inclusivity, Sustainability and Data Ethics. The index reflects the platforms’ position in the priority areas. Broadcast platforms surveyed cover close to 70% of Television Adex in India.
