Loading ...I’ve just heard of yet another ITV competition debacle, 10,000 valid entries weer ignore so the show could pull the winners name in time to broadcast on the show.
This is becoming a complete farce and the consumer’s confidence in UK competitions is already starting to hurt response rates.
I’ve run competitions in other European countries where the rules are much stricter, for example France where each draw needs to be registered with an agency called the CNIL. Any valid competition needs to display it’s registration number and the draw needs to be conducted in the presence of a licensed solicitor.
This pushes up the costs of any draw which is why most of what you’ll see offered in France are single-prize big money offers. Not too many ‘win a xxxx every hour’ deals.
I think that the costs in France are way to high, but there should be some sort of regulation and proof that draws have taken place correctly. It is quite apparent that the current free-for-all isn’t working to the benefit of the consumer.
Competitions online are at least free for the consumer to enter, unlike the many phone and SMS comps run on TV, but the likelihood is we’ll all be hit with the same measures if legislation is put in place, which can’t be far off.
I'm Stephen Pratley, a marketing consultant, agency owner and part-time affiliate marketer.This blog is about my activities and opinions in the online marketing world
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