Nectar overwhelmed by response rates in cosmetics promo

by Staff, Brand Republic 26-Mar-08, 10:15

LONDON - Nectar card operator Loyalty Management UK, has been rapped by the advertising watchdog over a failure to provide equivalent treats in a promotional offer after it ran out of facials and manicures and offered customers inferior replacements.

Twelve people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority after it ran the promotion, mailed out to customers along with their new Nectar card. It offered a choice of free treats such as facials, massages, pedicures and manicures, as well as golf lessons, days out and family portraits.

LMUK said that it had made efforts to ensure that a wide choice of treats and suppliers were available, but that the response rate of 6% had far exceeded the rates for previous promotions, and that 40% of all the claims were for three of the 24 treats on offer.

While the ASA took this into consideration, it still found that the promotion was in breach of the code regarding truthfulness and unnecessary disappointment.

It ruled: "We considered that those customers who had requested a back massage, facial or manicure were likely to be disappointed to receive a day out pass or a gym pass instead.

"We concluded that the administration of the promotion was likely to cause disappointment to some customers and that LMUK had not demonstrated that they had provided substitute treats of equivalent quality or value to those chosen."

LMUK said it had no plans to run a similar promotion in the future.