Background
This case forms part of an ASA-initiated project group of five cases investigating ads from online personalities and companies promoting courses that purport to help people make money and expand their business.
Summary of Council decision:
Three issues were investigated, all of which were Upheld.
Ad description
A paid-for Facebook and Instagram ad and a website for Jessica Crane Ltd, a wealth and business coach company run by Jessica Crane, for salon owners:
a. The Facebook and Instagram ad, dated 10 May 2025, stated, “You built the dream salon… so why does it still feel like a grind? Here’s how the top 1% of owners broke free – and how you can too […] But the top 1%? They’re scaling to 40% profit margins, filling their team’s books, and stepping off the salon floor – without working more or burning out. We’ve helped 800+ salon owners do exactly that […] And it all starts with one simple system – broken down step-by-step inside this free training […] Just the exact system salon CEOs use to build freedom + profit”. The post included a video with on-screen text that stated, “3 Step Salon Growth System. Increase your profits by 40%. Bring in up to 30 ideal clients/wk”.
b. The website https://siss.jessicacrane.co.uk/optin-2, seen on 23 May 2025, was the landing page for ad (a) and stated, “What the Top 1% of Salon Owners Know That You Don’t (Yet) How They’re Hitting 40% Profit Margins […] in 30 Days or Less […] this free training reveals the 3-part system that’s helping salon owners create freedom, profit, and growth on autopilot”. It further stated the free training video included “THE PROFIT EQUATION FORMULA […] takes you from ‘barely breaking even’ to 40%+ profit margins; THE CLIENTS ON AUTOPILOT STRATEGY: The exact system our clients use to generate 20–30+ high-paying client bookings each week”.
Issue
The ASA challenged whether ads (a) and (b) were misleading because they implied the:
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stated lifestyle and earnings were typical;
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free training video content alone would enable the audience to achieve the stated benefits; and
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top one per cent of salon owners used the advertiser’s system.
Response
Jessica Crane Ltd stated that the complaint had been shared with their marketing team and would be considered for future marketing. They also confirmed that ad (a) had been removed.
Assessment
1. Upheld
The CAP Code stated that marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.
Ad (a) stated that Ms Crane’s system enabled “800+ salon owners” to scale to “40% profit margins, filling their team’s books, and stepping off the salon floor – without working more or burning out”. Ad (b) further stated that Ms Crane’s system allowed users “to generate 20-30+ high-paying client bookings each week”, “remove yourself from the salon floor in less than 30 days” and achieve “40%+ profit margins”.
We considered the audience was likely to interpret these claims to mean they could achieve the same earnings and working lifestyle described in the ads by following Ms Crane’s system, regardless of their experience level and personal circumstances. However, we understood that was unlikely to be the case and had not received information from Ms Crane to demonstrate otherwise. Because the ads implied the results were typical, and we understood that was not likely to be the case, we concluded that the ads were misleading.
On that point, the ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading Advertising) and 3.11 (Exaggeration).
2. Upheld
Ad (a) stated, “And it all starts with one simple system – broken down step-by-step inside this free training […]”. Ad (b) stated the “free training reveals the 3-part system that’s helping salon owners create freedom, profit, and growth on autopilot […] takes you from ‘barely breaking even’ to 40%+ profit margins”. We considered the audience was likely to interpret these claims to mean that watching the free training, in isolation, would enable them to achieve the stated benefits.
While the free training video introduced three strategies, it also mentioned various programmes such as the “Systemised for Success” programme and the “Recruitment 100 System” as offerings that Ms Crane provided to help clients to achieve the stated benefits. The video ended with Ms Crane inviting viewers to book a call with her team to “map out the next steps to make these goals happen”. We therefore understood Ms Crane offered further training content and support, in addition to the video, that were integral to the system described in the ads. We were unable to confirm whether the further content also came at an extra cost. Because the ad implied the profits and working lifestyle could be achieved by exclusively viewing the free training video, and we understood that was not the case, we concluded the ad was misleading.
On that point, the ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 3.1 (Misleading advertising).
3. Upheld
Ad (a) stated, “Here’s how the top 1% of owners broke free – and how you can too […]”, and ad (b) claimed “What the Top 1% of Salon Owners Know That You Don’t (Yet)”. Ad (b) invited users to “Grab your spot now and learn what the top 1% of salon owners are doing differently”. We considered the audience was likely to interpret those claims to mean the most financially successful businesses in the industry used Ms Crane’s system to achieve the advertised results. However, we had not seen evidence to demonstrate that was the case. We therefore concluded the claims were misleading.
On that point, the ads breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading advertising) and 3.7 (Substantiation).
Action
The ads must not appear again in the form investigated. We told Jessica Crane Ltd to ensure that future ads did not misleadingly imply claimed lifestyle and earnings results were typical and did not mislead in relation to the content of training material available offered for free. We also told them to ensure they held adequate objective evidence for their claims in future.
