Vape brand Relx and Geordie Shore star Louis Shaw have been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for promoting the product on Instagram.
The post in contention, an Instagram story by Shaw seen on 20 December 2021, showed a hand holding two boxes of e-cigarettes and offered a discount code LOUISXMAS15, tagging Relx account.
The agency ruled that the ad must not appear again in the form complained of, upholding a complaint that challenged whether the ad did not make clear its commercial intent.
The ASA also ruled that the ad breached the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code by promoting unlicensed, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and their components on Instagram.
“We told Relx (UK) Ltd and Louis Shaw to ensure that marketing communications with the direct or indirect effect of promoting nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and their components that were not licensed medicines should not be made from a public Instagram account in future, unless they had taken steps to ensure they would only be distributed to those following their account and would not be seen by other users,” it said in the ruling.
“We also told them to ensure they made clear the commercial intent of their posts in future, for example by including a clear and prominent identifier such as “#ad.”
In its response, Relx claimed that the Instagram story was user-generated content, designed and posted by Louis Shaw and not shared with or approved by Relx before he posted it.
The brand clarified that the discount code used in the ad was a referral reward that was given to any customer and was given to Shaw to share with his online and offline friends who were existing adult smokers and vapers, adding that the use of the code did not result in any payment or commission from Relx to Shaw.
The ASA, however, noted that the Shaw had a contractual relationship with Relx as an affiliate of the brand and stories posted under that relationship would fall within the remit of the CAP Code.
The agency said the post breached the CAP Code provision which states that marketing communications must be obviously identifiable as such and they must make clear their commercial content if it was not obvious from the context.
As the marketing communications with the direct or indirect effect of promoting nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and their components which are not licensed as medicines are not permitted in online media –along with newspapers, magazines and periodicals and some other forms of electronic media, except for media targeted exclusively to the trade – the agency also found the post in breach of this provision of the Code.
Factual claims about products are only permitted on marketers’ own websites and, in certain circumstances, in other non-paid-for space online under the marketer’s control.
The ASA had previously considered whether Instagram was an online media space where such advertising, using factual claims only, was permitted, but had concluded that neither promotional nor factual content was permitted in the social networking site.
Londoners are expected to spend an average of £352 on ingredients for Christmas lunch, festive snacks and nibbles, and all their drinks (both alcoholic and not) for the festive period, forecasts a new survey.
According to the survey of 2,000 Brits conducted by Very, Londoners are planning on spending more than £930 in preparation for Christmas this year, more than any other region in the country. The biggest spend Londoners will make is on food, expected to spend an average of £352 on ingredients for Christmas lunch, festive snacks and nibbles, and all their drinks (both alcoholic and not) for the festive period.
Those living in Greater London are also expected to spend around £306 on Christmas decorations for both inside and outside their homes, including a Christmas tree, door wreaths, and table decorations and centre pieces. Other expenses include board games (£72), Christmas crackers and party favours (£66) and tableware for serving guests (£72).
Following London in the big spender stakes are Northern Ireland and those in the North East. Christmas planning in Northern Ireland is expected to cost £800 on average, while in the North East, spend will average £768 across food, decorations and party supplies.
Those living in Yorkshire & the Humber are expected to spend the least on Christmas prep this year, an average of £562 in total. This includes an average spend of £157 on Christmas decorations, £261 on festive food and drinks, and £143 on things like craft supplies and tableware, reveals the survey.
Insights show that more than a third (39 per cent) of Brits plan to host some sort of Christmas event for friends and family, whether that be Christmas day lunch, a Christmas Eve cocktail party, or a Boxing Day buffet.
Those aged 25-34 are the most likely to host a Christmas event this year, with 56 per cent saying they are already planning for their event, followed by those aged 16-24 (47 per cent) and 35-44s (43 per cent), while over 55s are the least likely to host this year (30 per cent).
But while hosting might sound like a nice offer, it also seems to come with certain worries. Eight of the top 10 Christmas conundrums experienced by Brits centre around food – whether it’s balancing cooking times (28 per cent), cooking Christmas lunch (25 per cent), getting the perfect crisp on their roast potatoes (23 per cent), or simply not having enough food to feed everyone (23 per cent).
Huge amounts of counterfeit and illicit vapes, cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco cigarettes worth over £1.6million were seized in Lancashire late last month.
In one of the biggest Trading Standards seizures in Hyndburn to date, around 100,000 packs of illegal cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco, and hundreds of illegal non-regulation vapes, with a combined retail value of over £1.6million, were seized on 30 October in a joint operation with HMRC and Lancashire Constabulary from an empty trade premises next to a shop in Oswaldtwistle.
Counterfeit brands included Richmond, Benson and Hedges, and Lambert and Butler, as well as less familiar brands such as Manchester & Sovereign. Packaging used to manufacture counterfeit cigarettes was also seized.
Less than a week later, a sniffer dog has hunted down thousands of hidden illegal vapes and cigarettes as part of a crackdown at shops across Preston, in which the Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards team joined forces with HMRC and tobacco detection dog, Sky, a working cocker spaniel from Wagtail UK, whose canines are trained to sniff out hidden compartments of tobacco, vapes and money.
She sniffed out illicit goods at all seven city centre premises that they visited and even indicated that there was tobacco behind a false wall, which officers broke open to find the goods inside.
Stashes of cannabis, together with illegal prescription drugs and antibiotics were also seized. Hiding places included hidden compartments and in backyards, while one trader threw suitcases full of tobacco on the roof to try to evade detection.
A total of 1,642 packs of illegal tobacco and 651 non-compliant vapes were seized during the operation on 25 October with five of the businesses in the New Hall Lane and Friargate areas.
Investigations are now ongoing, the council added.
“Our Trading Standards team go above and beyond in their pursuit of illegal vapes and cigarettes, with unbelievable outcomes,” Cllr Michael Green, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Lancashire County Council said.
"Hiring sniffer dog Sky, who did a very thorough job, was a fantastic way of protecting residents from unsafe goods from unscrupulous traders. With the help of partners such as Wagtail UK, HMRC and the police, we can tackle rogue traders and find hidden illicit goods.”
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has on Wednesday announced the closure of its investigation into Unilever's environmental claims, noting the progress made by both Unilever and the broader fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector in ensuring transparent green marketing.
The decision comes after the CMA observed positive changes in Unilever’s product claims and the wider impact of its Green Claims Code, which has encouraged businesses to accurately promote their environmental credentials.
“Given these points, and the ongoing impact of the CMA’s work, the CMA has decided as a matter of administrative priority to close this investigation,” the regulator said, adding that it has not taken a view on Unilever’s compliance with consumer law.
The investigation into Unilever, launched in December 2023, sought to examine whether the company's environmental marketing met consumer protection laws. The CMA at the time said they are concerned that Unilever may be overstating how green certain products are through the use of vague and broad claims, unclear statements around recyclability, and ‘natural’ looking images and logos.
The CMA commenced a review of environmental claims in the FMCG sector in January 2023, examining a wide range of products which are essential items used by people on a daily basis and repurchased regularly, such as food and drink, cleaning products, toiletries, and personal care items.
The UK government’s generative AI chatbot has moved to the next stage of testing this week, making it easier and quicker for thousands of small businesses across the country to find information on GOV.UK.
Up to 15,000 business users will be able to ask the tool for advice on business rules and support, with the chatbot linked from 30 of GOV.UK’s business pages, such as “set up a business” and “search for a trade mark”. People with access to the trial can ask questions about tax and the support available to them.
A team of in-house data scientists, developers and designers are building the experimental tool using OpenAI’s GPT-4o technology which aims to help people more quickly navigate complex advice to understand what matters to them. In response, they will receive straightforward, personalised answers that collate information that may otherwise be spread across dozens of pages.
The results from the trial will determine the next steps which could include potential larger-scale testing. This could ultimately lead to the chatbot being rolled out across the full government website, made up of 700,000 pages.
The GOV.UK website attracts over 11 million users per week and is the best-known digital service in the UK according to YouGov.
The new trial comes as the science secretary’s department is shaping the new ‘digital centre’ of government to boost technology adoption across the public sector, taking a more experimental approach with emerging technology where appropriate as it does so.
“Outdated and bulky government processes waste people’s time too often, with the average adult in the UK spending the equivalent of a working week and a half dealing with public sector bureaucracy every year,” science secretary Peter Kyle said.
“We are going to change this by experimenting with emerging technology to find new ways to save people time and make their lives easier, as we are doing with GOV.UK Chat. With all new technology, it takes time to get it right so we’re taking it through extensive trials with thousands of real users before it is used more widely.”
After the first trial, which was conducted late last year, nearly 70 per cent of users agreed that the responses provided by the chatbot were helpful - where under 15 per cent disagreed. However, the first trial also showed that more testing and development was required to meet the high accuracy standards for advice and information on GOV.UK.
The government added that stringent safety measures and guardrails have been put in place, given the nature of this technology. Since the last test, the government experts have added ‘guardrails’ that help GOV.UK Chat detect which questions it should, and should not, answer. These include measures to prevent the chatbot responding to queries that may prompt an illegal answer, share sensitive financial information or force the chatbot to take a political position.
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Retailer Benedict Selvaratnam from Freshfields Market in Croydon
Government is "missing the mark" when it comes to understanding the struggles faced by small business owners, a convenience store owner has said, adding that Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget has left many small, family-run businesses feeling overlooked.
Retailer Benedict Selvaratnam, who runs his family business Freshfields Market in Croydon, is "disappointed" by the recent budget announcement. He feels that the bigger-than-expected increase in wage cost, rise in Employer National Insurance Contributions and reduction in business rates relief will significantly raise the business operating costs
Among the key measures announced by Reeves that directly impact local stores are an increase in National Living Wage to £12.21 per hour and increase in National Minimum Wage (18-20 rate) to £10 per hour. The two are collectively expected to cost £513 million extra to the convenience sector next year, according to convenience store body Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).
Additionally, Employers’ National Insurance Contributions will rise by 15 per cent, the threshold for Employers’ National Insurance contributions to fall to £5,000 per year and Employment Allowance to rise to £10,500 a year. The collective cost to the convenience sector next year is estimated by ACS at £397m (increase of £85m).
Expressing his concerns, Selvaratnam told Asian Trader, "As a small, independent family business, Freshfields Market already operates on tight margins to keep our prices competitive for the local community. The increase in Employer National Insurance Contributions and reduction in business rates relief will significantly raise our operating costs.
"These changes come at a time when small businesses are still trying to recover from economic challenges, and it could hinder our ability to invest in growth, hire more staff, or even maintain our current workforce. It feels like a step backward for small businesses that are vital to our high streets."
Selvaratnam finds some relief in the shoplifting measures announced in the budget though he stresses on the need of proper enforcement as well.
He said, "The measures proposed to tackle shoplifting are a positive move and much needed. Shoplifting has become a major issue for retailers, especially in communities where economic pressures are high. Abolishing the £200 threshold and enforcing stricter penalties sends a strong message that theft won’t be tolerated.
"However, for these measures to be effective, enforcement needs to be consistent and supported by local law enforcement. It’s a step in the right direction, but we need ongoing support to ensure our staff and customers feel safe and protected."
"While the shoplifting measures are encouraging, the increased financial burden placed on small businesses outweighs the positives. It feels like the government is missing the mark when it comes to understanding the struggles faced by SMEs. We need policies that support growth and sustainability, not measures that add pressure to already strained resources.
"This budget has left many small, family-run businesses feeling overlooked."
Earlier, retailers' body British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) too strongly criticised Reeves’ budget, calling it the “most damaging for independent retailers in recent memory”, with a triple blow of doubled business rates, increased National Insurance, and higher minimum wage costs threatening widespread high street closures.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said, "Small retailers, who have already endured years of challenging trading conditions, now face a perfect storm of crippling cost increases. Their business rates will more than double as relief drops from 75 per cent to 40 per cent, while they're hit simultaneously with employer National Insurance rising to 15 per cent and a lower threshold of £5,000, down from £9,100. Add to this the minimum wage increase to £12.21, and many of our members are telling us they simply cannot survive this onslaught."
Goodacre added, "For all the government's rhetoric about supporting small businesses and revitalising high streets, their actions do precisely the opposite. These punishing measures will force many shop owners to make heart-breaking decisions about their businesses' future.
"What makes this particularly bitter is that these are family businesses, often built up over generations, run by people who work incredibly long hours to serve their communities. They're now being asked to shoulder an impossible burden while trying to compete with online giants who face none of these cost pressures."