Three months to go until the 2016 Summer Olympics take the world by storm starting on 5th August.
To put the event’s popularity in perspective, according to a report by the London 2012 Olympic Games, a projected 3.6 billion viewers saw at least one minute of London 2012 coverage on television – that’s more than half of the world’s population!
But what does that mean for your business?
Studying advertising and marketing at university got me interested in the communication between businesses and consumers, and I was interested in interning with Lava because I didn’t have any prior experience in marketing. I particularly enjoy writing, researching and anything creative, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
We’re currently working with the team behind, Festival800, an artistic response to Magna Carta. The sealing of that document 800 years ago is what provides us with the amazing powers of freedom of speech which we enjoy today. But in a marketing context, are we really free to say what we want about our company, products or services?
The short answer is no.
Advertising
With regards to advertising, the law says that you must give an accurate description of your product and that your advertising must be legal, decent, truthful, honest and socially responsible.
So, how do you ensure your advert is legal? First of all, don’t lie, miss out any vital information or be aggressive in your advertising.
You need to be crystal clear about pricing too. If you quote a price that excludes VAT, then this needs to be clear. You also need to make sure you can prove any claims you make with solid evidence. If you say something is the best, then make sure you can qualify your claim. This is why you see all the small print at the bottom of adverts promoting beauty products. You know the bit where it says the product was tested on 20 ladies and 17 said it was amazing!
Talking of beauty products, that industry is covered by specific set regulations as are adverts are aimed at children or promoting food, alcohol, environmentally friendly products, medicines, political parties and tobacco.
If you’re unsure about what the law says then you should read the Committee of Advertising Practice code, which cover non-broadcast advertising (eg print, online), sales promotion and direct marketing. TV and radio adverts are governed by Ofcom’s broadcast rules.
If you are advertising to consumers then you should also read the consumer protection from unfair trading regulations.
Advertising to businesses? Don’t feature a competitors’ logo or trademark; don’t compare your product with a competing one that isn’t the same and don’t make any misleading comparisons between the two. You can find a wealth of information in within Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations
Data Protection
Don’t’ forget if you’re gathering, storing or using information about potential or current customers then there’s also data protection to consider and this applies not just to printed direct mail but also e-mail marketing.
Direct Marketing
If you’re sending promotional faxes to individuals, then you’ll need their permission to do so before sending the fax. Using telemarketing, make sure the people you’re contacting haven’t registered with the Telephone Preference Service. If they have, then phoning them is illegal and could result in a £5,000 fine.
For traditional, posted, direct mail, make sure your mailing list doesn’t include people who’ve registered with the Mail Preference Service.
Email marketing and text messages
I suspect you get lots of unsolicited emails every day but you shouldn’t. Companies are only allowed to send marketing emails to people if they have permission to do so. If you’re using email marketing and have a bought a list from a data company, then check you have the right to use it for email marketing and make sure that in every email you send, you tell people who you are, that you’re selling and if you’re including a promotion, make sure the conditions are easily available.
PR Activity
Promoting yourself by sending out press releases? Then you still need to make sure you’re legal.
Avoid saying anything that’s misleading. Just like advertising, don’t say anything you cannot substantiate. Journalists won’t believe you’re the best without proof. That’s why many companies describe themselves as ‘the leading’, whatever that means.
You also need be aware of The Defamation Act 2013.
There are several definitions of defamation of character. One widely used definition is: “A statement which tends to lower the claimant in the estimation of right-thinking members of society generally, and in particular cause him to be regarded with feeling of hatred, contempt, ridicule, fear or disesteem.”
The Act requires the claimant to show how exactly they have suffered serious harm or are likely to suffer serious harm as a result of the statement. Whether the statement will be considered libel or slander, depends on how the statement was made.
If it was said or is in a ‘transitory’ form then it will be considered slander, unless it was broadcast on television, radio or made in a public performance of a play.
A statement will be libellous, if it has been has been published; seen by a third party; and be easy for readers to identify the claimant even if it does not explicitly state his or her name.
Online And Social Media
Using Facebook and Twitter to promote your business? Blogging? Then remember, once you’ve published something online you, as the author are legally responsible for the content. That means you need to make sure you can substantiate your claims, that you’re not slandering someone or infringing copyright – do you have permission to use all of the images on your website?
And don’t forget the internet is global. Publishing on the worldwide web means the content can be challenged in other countries, and the laws governing defamation do vary from country to country.
Be Transparent
When it comes to Twitter and Facebook, transparency is essential. Don’t create content that appears to come from other people. Don’t involve celebrities or pay others to post nice things about you. What is and is not allowable in social media marketing is a grey area, so I’d recommend airing on the side of caution as anything promotional that’s posted on social media needs to comply with the Committee of Advertising Code.
As you can see there are many factors and areas of the law that cover marketing activity, so perhaps whilst Magna Carta gave us freedom of speech to an extent, not all of its privileges extend to marketing.
Hopefully this short overview will help you stay within the boundaries of what is acceptable. And, if you’re unsure, remember this simple saying – “if in doubt, leave it out’.
As marketing communications specialists, we’re tasked with raising awareness of our clients’ products and services. Public relations activity, therefore, features heavily in the majority of our campaigns.
Reaching the right people at the right time with a targeted message is key, and we believe a media campaign can be the perfect way to increase brand awareness, engage audiences and build great relationships.
Whether it’s announcing the latest company news, launching a brand new product or revealing an innovative programme, keeping front of mind and reaching out to customers is all down to great media coverage.
People often ask me the secret to publicity and PR – how to take a press release and encourage top news outlets to feature the content.
The answer is simple – the perfect PR phone pitch.
Long gone are the days of emailing a press release to hundreds of reporters in a vague effort to achieve a few small news stories. Instead, you need a surefire way to get your news noticed and your company remembered.
To give you a helping hand, here’s some top tips to making the perfect PR pitch:
Cut the small talk
It’s no surprise that the typical reporter receives hundreds of PR phone calls every day. Unfortunately there’s a limit on how many times they can discuss the weather without collapsing into boredom – so keep your call concise and clear.
If you can, be sure to get the key facts across in the first 15 seconds – most importantly the who, what, where, when, why and how.
If a journalist is interested in your story, they’ll have made a decision almost straightaway. Follow this up with a well-written press release and you’re on the right track to great media coverage.
Keep it simple, stupid!
Although you may be an expert on your company, product or service, don’t expect a journalist to share the same specialist knowledge.
Just as you would write a press release, keep your pitch simple. A long speech about the latest technology or technical specifications is more likely to confuse and deter, rather than engage and entice.
Stick to the basics and focus on the benefits so that you engage with reporters, increasing the chance of seeing your news printed.
Believe in your story
There’s nothing worse than talking to a salesperson who doesn’t have any passion for their product, and it’s the same with PR – if you don’t believe in your story, neither will an editor.
However, if you show interest, enthusiasm and can demonstrate how relevant your story or idea is for readers, you’re more likely to find yourself featured in the press.
Timing
With more and more publications moving to a weekly, quarterly or annual print basis, it’s becoming ever more important to pick the perfect time to pitch.
Research the publications you want to target and know their deadlines. If the outlet goes to print on a Thursday, pitching a front-page splash on Wednesday afternoon is unlikely to be worth your while.
Planning is key, so don’t leave it to the last minute.
Don’t fall at the last hurdle
Even if you have the perfect pitch, a sloppy email or press release can be the difference between a lead story and missing out on being featured.
Grammar, spelling and syntax are essential. Proof your release, take time to send a follow-up email and make sure the publication has everything needed for a story to go to print.