Did you know that the rules which govern prize promotions in the UK say that anyone running a prize promotion must make a list of major prize winners, including their names and the county where they live, available to anyone who asks? And that in some cases, winning entries must also be made available for inspection?
But if you don’t post such a list, then you could find yourself being hauled over the coals by the Advertising Standards Authority.
You don’t ever want to have the ASA uphold a complaint against you – and certainly not for something as silly as failing to post a winners list.
We know, however, that it can be a chore to provide a list of winners and winning entries – which is why the Institute of Promotional Marketing (the IPM) has created this website, The IPM Winners List, where brand owners and their agencies can easily and quickly provide the details that the rules say they must.
As the trade body for the promotional marketing industry, the IPM is committed to making sure that all marketers who run prize promotions are aware of their responsibilities under UK law and also the UK Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing Practice (the CAP Code).
These rules – otherwise known as the CAP Code – govern advertising and marketing in this country, and are used by the ASA as the benchmark to decide whether a complaint over an ad or a promotion is valid.
Promoters must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place – ordinarily the surname and county of major prizewinners and, if applicable, their winning entries. At or before the time of entry, promoters must inform entrants of their intention to publish or make available the information and give them the opportunity to object to their information being published or made available, or to reduce the amount of information published or made available. In such circumstances, the promoter must nevertheless still provide the information and winning entry to the ASA if challenged.
The privacy of prizewinners must not be prejudiced by the publication of personal information and in limited circumstances (for example, in relation to National Savings) promoters may need to comply with a legal requirement not to publish such information.
Ensure your competition complies with the CAP Code – make The IPM’s Winners’ List the place people go to if they want to find out who won or to view the entries.
It’s a safe and secure way to make the information available to the public.
To create your own secure account today, contact The IPM’s Legal & Compliance team on legal@theipm.org.uk.
The IPM Winners List is operated by The Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM).
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If you are a brand or an agency, why not join us? Contact us on 020 3848 0444 or contact@theipm.org.uk