Advice:am Marketing Masterclass
07 June 2005
On Thursday 19 May, CAP opened its doors bright and early for a spot of ‘Advice:am’, a free presentation to marketing professionals on the rules and regulations for sales promotions. The ‘morning masterclass’ was run in conjunction with the Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP) and offered expert advice to anyone involved in sales promotions.
Based at the ASA office in Holborn, the morning began, as any day should, with breakfast. That was followed by a presentation by CAP staff who took an in-depth look at how the CAP Code covers sales promotions. After a Q & A session, events concluded. The early start gave those with a hectic schedule the opportunity to gain invaluable advice aboutsales promotions without taking a big chunk out of their day.
Delegates included ISP members, sales promotion agency staff, marketing professionals and in-house legal and compliance advisers. It was a successful morning with places fully booked well in advance. Although it was designed to have a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, the event gave CAP a useful platform from which to convey key messages to practitioners and remind them how to comply with the Code when running their promotions. CAP staff covered the rules that are implicit to successful campaigns such as those surrounding availability, free offers and trials, terms and conditions and the administration of competitions.
Sales promotions that have fallen foul of the Code and been subject of an ASA Council upheld adjudication were used as examples to illustrate the pitfalls that promoters can encounter. A direct mailing that told consumers that, because they were new customers, they would receive a ‘FREE’ gift such as a Water Resistant Jacket or a Pierre Cardin Pen Set when they ordered three items or more ran into trouble. Smallprint stated that the company reserved the right to supply an alternative gift if necessary. The complainant objected to the ASA that the mailing was misleading, because a pair of pyjamas and a plastic tray with beakers replaced the waterproof jacket and the Pierre Cardin Pen Set. Although it acknowledged that the advertisers had included the disclaimer, the ASA decided that the mailing was misleading. It told the advertisers to take more care when estimating demand for free gifts and to provide substitute gifts of the same value or equivalent as the advertised gift.
After the success of the first Advice:am and positive feedback from the attendees, CAP hopes to run a series of these events covering different aspects of advertising regulation. Advice:am illustrated the importance of marketers making themselves familiar with the advertising rules. CAP encourages all advertisers to make use of its free Copy Advice service on 020 7492 2100 or AdviceOnline on the CAP website, www.cap.org.uk.
Repeat event announced - for details of the next Advice:am seminar on sales promotions click here.