Principles: Approve all components together in final form
Digital assets need to be reviewed within the channel that they will be delivered through, before they can be approved. For example an e-visual aid designed for an ipad needs to be reviewed on an ipad. A website needs to be approved as it would appear when live, and not just through screen shots. Where items are to be viewed in multiple formats the data should ideally be checked in them all to ensure required text is clearly visible.
Where this is not possible e.g. sites visible via any device, a number of different device types should be checked or specific software used that allows views to be generated for different device types.
Interactivity, downloads, links etc all need to be checked for compliance with regulations. Associated material also needs to be considered as illustrated in this example:
YouTube videos
A complaint was received about an educational video published by MSD on YouTube. As part of the terms and conditions, YouTube placed some ‘suggested clips’ alongside the video (this happens routinely with YouTube videos – and MSD did not have any control over which ‘suggested clips’ would appear).
The complainant alleged that the links were to content that did not comply with the Australian Code and that they were promoting a prescription medicine to the general public.
When considering the case some members of the Committee felt that, as companies had no control over suggested clips that use of YouTube by pharmaceutical companies should not be allowed.
They agreed unanimously that the content displayed alongside the MSD video, but not created by MSD, could lead to the promotion of a prescription product to the general public.
However, in this case, the Committee decided that the suggested clips in question did not promote to the general public. But they advised caution ‘in using an avenue for which a company does not have total control over content associated with its activity’.
