Flashing without getting caught
09 December 2005
Front page flashes for reader offers need to convey important conditions that affect readers' decision to buy the newspaper.
Because of stiff competition in the national press, the front-page flash sales promotion is now a common tool. Newspapers regularly announce their promotions boldly on the front page, sometimes well in advance, to draw attention to the promotion and attract new readers. In recent months, the ASA has adjudicated against, or the Compliance team has taken action against, about one national press promotion a week; so we thought it was about time to cover the topic in Update@CAP.
Over the last ten years, the nature of front-page promotion has moved on from money-off the newspaper and cheap ferry crossings to compilation CDs, “free” flight offers and discounted holidays to free computer games and free DVDs. Creators of the front-page flash should bear in mind the requirements of the CAP Code.
Firstly, readers should be told whether they are expected to buy more issues to redeem the promotional item and made aware of important conditions that affect their decision to buy the newspaper.
The promotional item is often available in the newspaper but often is not, as with the Royal Doulton promotion in the Daily Mail that the ASA recently adjudicated on. When not available in the newspaper, a common mechanism for acquiring the item is through token collect. Token collect promotions must be described clearly as such on the front-page flash and must avoid the inference that the promotion can be entered by buying just one edition of the newspaper. Claims such as “starts today” or “first token inside” are acceptable, because both imply future purchases. On subsequent days, newspapers may claim “continues today” or “today’s token inside”, because both imply the continuation of a promotion.
Another mechanism to acquire the promotional item is the conditional single purchase, for which the consumer need buy only one newspaper and redeem the item from a third party; for example: flights from a named promoter or airline, food from an outlet store or a DVD from a video rental chain. If the item is limited, either geographically, by retailer or by stock, that should be stated clearly in the flash. An ideal practice would be to name the promotion partner or put its branding in the promotional message.
Premium-rate telephone entry is common and, if used, should be noted in the flash; wherever the number is displayed, the cost should accompany it. If the promotion is a “free” item, the cost of the premium-rate call should not exceed the delivery cost and the maximum cost of the call should be stated; any competitions for which the cost of the call exceeds the cost of delivery should not be described as “free”.
All the usual Code requirements still apply: the flash should not mislead and promoters should be able to substantiate their claims. Click here to read how the ASA ruled that the Daily Mail promotion could mislead readers. You can find a more detailed account of CAP advice on front-page flashes in the AdviceOnline database on the CAP website along with the CAP Help Note on Front-page Flashes.