Our Annual Report published today reveals it was a record year in terms of the training and advice we provided as part of our commitment to helping advertisers get their ads right.

CAP provided advice and training on 101,422 occasions, our highest ever total. This included 50 training events, 6,779 requests to our Copy Advice service and 44,169 visits to our online resources.

Our work is aimed at getting a fair deal for consumers and competitors. The Report reveals that 70% of the cases the ASA dealt with were about misleading advertising. The potential consequences of such ads are that they hoodwink consumers, give an unfair advantage to businesses that don’t play by the rules and they erode trust in advertising.

Our Report also reveals that:

  • The ASA received 31,298 complaints about 18,990 ads
  • 3,700 ads were changed or withdrawn as result of ASA and CAP action
  • The ASA dealt with 6,273 complaints about 5,338 online ads – 28% of its workload
  • The ASA, for the first time, names its ‘big five’ misleading advertising priorities – pricing, testimonials, daily deals, free trials and health claims – and what it’s been doing to tackle them

As well as ASA rulings we took action behind the scenes to tackle misleading claims. We improved online pricing in the hotel sector - CAP making sure price claims directed at the public include all non-optional taxes. Meanwhile, CAP’s work with industry trade organisations in sectors such as Complementary and Alternative Medicine, cars and broadband has also helped their members to comply with the rules.

Another key focus last year was being better at regulating competitor complaints. The ASA’s new Inter Party Resolution process delivered a 64% reduction in competitor complaints and a 78% reduction in the number of competitor complaints requiring assessment. The knock on effect was a reduction in the average times taken to formally investigate competitor complaints from 107 to 61 days.

Chairman of CAP, James Best said: “Advertisers face new options and challenges every day and CAP is here to help them get their ads right, avoid investigations, and ensure responsible behaviour. Advertising that is trusted is good for business and playing by the rules means a fair deal for both consumers and competitors.”

Read the full ASA and CAP Annual Report here.

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