Sales promotions can range from simple ‘buy one get one free’ offers to multi-stage competitions with online votes and judging panels. Section 8 of the Advertising Code deals with the mechanics and requirements of sales promotions in detail and our AdviceOnline database has further advice on specific issues.

If you follow us on Twitter you’ll know we’ve recently done a wholesale review of the Promotions with Prizes Help Note to make more it more user friendly and update it in light of key ASA decisions on interpreting the Code. It’s now two pages shorter and includes information on the interpretation of rule 8.21.1. Readers familiar with the previous Help Note might like to know that the information previously set out in Section 2 of the Help Note is now in Sales Promotions: Lotteries.

As part of the review the entries on Free-entry routes, Prize draws, Gifts vs Prizes and Scratchcards were also updated.

Consumers should be able to make the decision as to whether they want to participate, and are eligible to, from the initial advertising copy. Ensure you don’t trip up by inadequately explaining the conditions of the sales promotion by reading our article Sales Promotions: Terms and Conditions. Promoters need to take care that appropriate measures are in place to ensure that the structure, or mechanic, of their promotion is not open to abuse. For more information see Sales Promotions: Abuse.

So that’s eight handy bits of sales promo guidance to be getting on with, follow us on twitter @CAP_UK to hear about other updates as they happen.

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