Contrary to common belief, prizes that are advertised are generally won. Competitions need to be CAP compliant and follow ASA guidelines. If customers suspect any wrongdoing or misrepresentation, it has never been easier for consumers to complain or challenge the authenticity of a competition. Big brands certainly will make sure the terms are met stringently while smaller brands may fall foul of the rules by not sharing information correctly or having clear terms and conditions which may be confusing. What needs to be considered when running a promotion is how the prize win ratio will be perceived. For example, in well formatted terms and conditions, it may outline a pack universe of 2M with 100 prizes to be won. These are very poor odds but as long as it is clear in the terms and conditions, then the promotion is legitimate.  Consumers may see a promotion where it claims 1000s of prizes to be won. This is very different to 1000s of prizes MUST be won.

Magazines such as Compers News encourage brands to offer generous prize ratios as they are scrutinised closely, and the word will easily gets out if there are campaigns that aren’t particularly inspiring. So, for brands it is important to offer a generous prize pool and certainly not one where consumers have little chance or even believe there is no chance! But in the main, brands want to be generous and gain loyalty and do what they can within budgets to reward the customers with prizes.