Run your next promotional prize draw by the rules!

Using branded promotional items in a prize draw is a simple and effective way to attract new customers and engage with them. They are relatively easy to organise and administer which makes them attractive to anyone wishing to create a buzz and can be run on websites, on social media, on-pack and in-store, often generating thousands of entries and creating countless happy winners. 

But beware, badly run promotions are vulnerable to abuse, cheating and public reprimands from the Advertising Standards Authority which can badly damage your brand’s reputation and finances.

So we asked PromoVeritas for their hints and advice. This long established company helps to shape and implement prize draws for some of the world’s favourite brands, making sure that promotions are safe and compliant in order to protect consumers’ rights and to keep the brand free from risk, fraud and negative publicity. Here are their tips for keeping your next prize draw free from trouble.

Always plan ahead – Determine the key aspects of the prize draw before you begin to promote it. Consider things like number of prizes, how long the promotion will run for and how people enter first. For instance, there may be a long lead time for the promotional item you want to giveaway, the postage may be prohibitive or you don’t have a clue how to organise a Facebook contest – issues like these need to be resolved before you begin.

T&Cs are the key – Invest in using experts to create a solid set of Terms and Conditions. These should cover the most important elements of the promotion – how to enter, the open and closing dates, the number of prizes on offer – as well as other legal disclaimers that will protect your promotion from abuse by scammers. T&Cs are an essential legal agreement between the promoter and they can’t be changed once the promotion begins. And don’t forget to include them in any social media post relating to your promotion.

Be Independent – Many promoters do not realise that they cannot just ask a member of staff to pick a winner. There are strict rules surrounding independent winner selection. The CAP Code is the rule-book for sales promotions in the UK (there are different rules in every country) and it requires promoters to demonstrate integrity and fairness by ensuring there is independent supervision of winner selection (Rules 8.24, 8.25, 8.26). Using an independent service such as PromoVeritas will guarantee your promotion is totally compliant.

Commit to your winners – Once the promotion has ended and you have had your winners independently selected you must send out the prizes within 30 days – another CAP Code rule. And make sure the prizes are the ones specified or you could get into big trouble with Trading Standards too. Promoters also need to publish a list of major winners (surname and county only).

You must simply remember to be fair with your prize draw – don’t try to mislead consumers – and you won’t get into too much trouble. To find out more about how PromoVeritas can help make your next prize draw a success visit www.promoveritas.com or call +44 203 325 6000.

Secure in the knowledge.