Christmas list of tips for seasonal ads

23 November 2007

The Christmas lights are glowing on Oxford Street and the red cups are back out at Starbucks:  marketers are well into their Christmas campaigns by now.  It’s never too late, however, for some lessons on getting those last-minute Christmas and New Year sales ads right.  Here we give you a few top tips, with our equivalent of Santa’s Littler Helper – the CAP AdviceOnline database.

Prices

• Remember to include all compulsory taxes and charges in your ads.
• Price claims such as "up to" and "from" should not exaggerate the availability of benefits likely to be obtained by consumers (Clause 15.4). A useful rule of thumb is that 10% of the products or services advertised should usually be available at the "from" or "up to" price.

Click the link below to read the AdviceOnline entry on Prices:
http://www.cap.org.uk/cap/advice_online/advice_online_database/Show+Entry.htm?advice_online_id=37.

Availability

• If stock is limited, encouraging people to come in store with limited offers is acceptable, as long as the ad makes the nature of any limitation clear.  If a reduction applies to the “first fifty customers only” or only “very limited stock” is available, that should be stated in the ad.  But claiming that products are likely to be out of stock very shortly if lots of stock is available is unacceptable.

Click the link below to read the AdviceOnline entry on Availability:
http://www.cap.org.uk/cap/advice_online/advice_online_database/Show+Entry.htm?advice_online_id=42.

Discounts and savings

• Make sure price comparisons are not against higher prices that have applied at some time in the past but were not those available immediately before. For clarity’s sake, make clear what you’re comparing against: last week’s, last month’s or last year’s price.
• Recommended retail prices (RRPs), or similar, when used as a basis of comparison should be genuine and should not differ significantly from the price at which the product is generally sold. Marketers should read the DTI Code of Practice for Traders on Price Indications for a fuller guide to the statutory pricing controls.

Click the link below to read the AdviceOnline entry on Recommended Retail Prices:
http://www.cap.org.uk/cap/advice_online/advice_online_database/Show+Entry.htm?advice_online_id=117.

By checking you’ve got those aspects right in your ads, you’ll go someway to ensure you bring goodwill and cheer to your potential customers and leave the thought of ASA adjudications out in the cold.   If you’d like some personal help with your ads, remember you can consult Copy Advice for fast and free advice about the CAP Code by e-mailing copyadvice@cap.org.uk or ringing 0207492 2210.    You can consult the BACC and the RACC for advice on broadcast campaigns.