Looking More Strictly At Promotional Rules

Jan. 9, 2009 - PRLog -- Mistakes in high profile public participation events like the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing voting system means the spotlight will be on promotions and competitions more than ever before in 2009.

Sales Promotions expert Neil Barnes of Enable (Marketing and Promotions Ltd, http://www.enablemp.com/ ) says high profile errors encourage fraudsters and those looking for ways to circumvent competitions and promotions to their advantage.

He said: “Whenever there is a high profile problem we see a surge of people trying it on with promoters and the organisers. The answer is to make every promotion and competition as watertight as possible before it is launched.

“With the BBC, perhaps the failure came about because they failed to ask the ‘what if?’ questions when designing the voting system. Enable’s role in many promotions is to ask the “what if?” question. If the BBC had someone doing that they would have asked ‘what if someone drops out?’ as John Sergeant did and also ‘what if the judges give two couples top marks?’ as happened the week before the final.”

Based in North Somerset, near Bristol, Enable works for some of the biggest brand names in the world ensuring their promotions are secure and comply with legal and best practice guidelines. Over 15 years the company has ensured more than £30 million in cash, thousands of concert event tickets and hundreds of cars and electrical items and six homes have been made available for consumers to win.

According to Mr Barnes providing independent auditing is vital to ensure that promotions and competitions run smoothly. The PR fall-out from getting it wrong can cause major damage to a brand.

With telephone, text and on-line promotions becoming increasingly popular the potential for falling victim to fraudsters or leaving a loophole that can be exploited are changing and growing. In the recent past major retail outlets have been victims of potentially crippling on-line scams after running marketing promotions on their web sites.

Said Neil Barnes: “With some online promotions unscrupulous web users took advantage of voucher codes that were intended for single use, but ended up being posted on internet forums and circulated by email.

“Using people like ourselves to act as “Devil’s Advocate” can safe-guard businesses from a great deal of trouble and potentially massive losses.

“It is also important that this type of questioning is carried out throughout the promotion with both the internet coupon supplier and clearing house. In short, use experienced professionals to avoid getting caught out.

“Internet coupons are a relatively new development in marketing and promotions and I have no doubt they will be very successful in the future. However, as with all work against fraudsters it is important to iron out the loopholes and stay one step ahead of those attempting to cheat the system.  This should involve putting together the strongest controls, being clear in the T&C’s and having a stringent policing system in place.”

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Enable by Empica. For further information contact Martin Powell (01275) 394400

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