The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against The Investors' Guide made by Profile Media.

The Investors' Guide ran a newspaper advert on 20 September headed "Thunder on the JSE", in which Profile Media appeared to challenge The Investors' Guide to a "boxing match". Profile complained that the ad was deliberately misleading. The ad also made unauthorised use of the official JSE logo.

The JSE says that it considers the ad in poor taste. The ASA comments that the use of the JSE logo "appears to be in contravention of the Stock Exchange Control Act of 1985 and may lead to or lend support to condone criminal activities".

Profile MD Nic Oldert says that The Investors' Guide is giving publishers of JSE data a bad name. "The Investors' Guide has twice been found guilty of misleading claims. They are still quoting grossly under-stated ABC circulation figures for Profile's JSE Handbook, and they still lie about the support they get from listed companies, in spite of having been hauled over the coals by the ASA."

Oldert says that Profile Media wishes to distance itself from the tactics of The Investors' Guide.

"Listed companies need to be aware that the behaviour of The Investors' Guide is not indicative of our industry. This is not the way that Profile or other data vendors do business."

For more information please contact: 

The full ASA Directorate Ruling can be obtained directly from the ASA, or their website (www.asasa.org.za) or from Profile Media at the above number (ask for Joanne).

BACK TO INDEX