New Delhi: Days after Noted businessman and Managing Director of Bajaj Auto Rajiv Bajaj announced that his company would no longer be advertising with three channels, Parle Products, the maker of the much-loved Parle G biscuits, followed suit and announced that they would also not be advertising with Indian news channels that promote and show aggressive and toxic content.
As reported by the Mint, senior category head of Parle Krishnarao Buddha said that the company will henceforth stop advertising on “toxic” news channels or those that are involved in the alleged TRP scam. He further said that Parle is currently in talks with other advertisers in order to send a clear message by collectively putting a restraint on advertising on such channels.
It can be recalled that last week, the Mumbai Police claimed to have busted a major fraud of manipulating TRP (Television Ratings Points) data by three TV channels – Republic TV, Fakt Marathi, and Box Cinema. Households were allegedly asked to keep channels switched on the entire day and officers claimed that some English news channels remained switched on even in uneducated homes.
While the owners of the two Marathi channels have been arrested, Republic TV’s CFO Shiva Sundaram has moved the Supreme Court against the summons issued by Mumbai Police to the news channel in connection with the alleged Television Rating Point (TRP) scam. Republic TV’s founder and Chief Editor Arnab Goswami challenged the Mumbai Police Commissioner to arrest him.
Following Parle’s announcement, #ParleG has been trending on Twitter and many netizens have been calling the company a “socially responsible brand”.
One user wrote, “Welcome Steps. #ParleG joins the move initiated by #Bajaj
#NoHateNoFear”
“MAD RESECT FOR #ParleG. It has decided not to advertise on news channels that broadcast toxic aggressive content. How nice it would be if more companies would start thinking about the country and stop funding this as$hole media. Let’s hit them where it hurts. G for Genius,” said one another.
“Financing #Fakenews, hatchet jobs, sleaze, toxic content. Funding hate, intolerance, daily provocations and incitements. Not the brand association any company/product can afford to have! Kudos to #ParleG #Bajaj for taking the lead to say No. #Amul: will you too #StopFundingHate?” asked one user.
