Christmas is finished, the noisiest toys have been quietly placed in the bin and we’re all once again battling the daily commute. The pressure to deliver an iconic Christmas can drive many families taking on additional debt. The new year often sees an influx of ads for debt relief as people seek to balance the books; especially as the cost of living continues to shackle the pocket money. Advertisers hoping to promote debt relief help responsibly should read on for our marketing tips.
Don’t gamble on your ads being above board
Placing your bets on marketing that links gambling to debt relief will always leave advertisers folding. The rules are clear that ads promoting gambling as a solution to financial concerns will be problematic. The ASA Council have upheld rulings on ads that link gambling as a solution to financial concerns. It's not just ads for slot machines and poker; ads that associate lotteries with solutions to financial problems are also problematic with the rules on lotteries.
You’ll need more than luck to avoid scrutiny if you ignore our advice on this. Ads that shuffle together gambling with debt solutions will always go bust.
Don’t cook the books with misleading endorsements or hide commercial intent
You’ll be relieved to know that marketers are unlikely to fall foul of the rules if they are highlighting a genuine endorsement from a person or an organisation. There’s no hiding though if your debt relief ads feature an endorsement that has simply been cooked up. The ASA has ruled on ads that have attempted to mislead consumers through fabricated endorsements from organisations (such as Citizens Advice) or an individual (like Martin Lewis).
Marketers will be held to account too if they do not make sufficiently clear that they are a lead generation service. Marketers should write off any ads that hide their commercial intent or feature endorsements that would make Charles Ponzi blush
Capital tips for your Individual voluntary arrangements (IVA) ads
Individual voluntary arrangements (IVA) are a legally binding agreement between someone in debt and their creditors to pay back said debts over a set period. CAP have issued an Enforcement Notice on ads related to IVA’s so marketers should really make sure their books are in order here. Marketers should ensure they include the risks and fees associated with IVA’s are prominently placed. There is a lot to consider when promoting IVA’s so we encourage marketers to arrange their ads carefully to avoid any interest from regulators.
As easy as 1, 2, 3?
Debt is complicated and the reasons people fall into money problems are varied and diverse. Ads for debt relief services should not be presented as straight-forward or a guaranteed success. The ASA have ruled on ads for debt relief services that over-simplify the process. Debt relief services are serious and consequential. Trivialising the decision to engage with such services in marketing is likely leave advertisers with a headache.
Do all your sums add up?
If your debt relief ads make a claim, you must be able to evidence that claim. This is a key principle in any ad. If your numbers don’t add up and your claims aren’t substantiated then those ads will likely be a problem. If you are making claims about the percentage of customers who would benefit from your service for example, you must hold evidence to support your claim. Marketers may not need to show all their working in their ads for debt relief services but they definitely need to make sure they can produce it if requested. The numbers don’t lie.
Relief is here with our Copy Advice Team
Bring our Copy Advice team into the equation and let them work out your debt relief ads. Our team of experts can help you prevent ads from being written off before they have a chance to be published. With their expert help, you’ll be out of the red in no time.
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