U.K. Regulators Release E-Cig Pricing Guidance
Sale tag with copy space for price and £ symbol, no copyright infringement
The U.K. Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have released an enforcement notice for promotional online pricing of e-cigarettes.
According to the notice, CAP writes the advertising rules, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, the U.K.’s independent advertising regulator.
The enforcement notice relates to the manner in which e-cigarette pricing appears on websites. According to CAP, companies are allowed to present factual information but not in a way that would constitute promotion. The enforcement notice states that some companies are portraying pricing in ways that would be considered promotion, for example, emphasizing discounts and savings.
“Please take immediate action to ensure your advertising complies,” the notice states. “We will be monitoring websites in the coming months. If we see continued problems in this area, we will take targeted enforcement action to ensure a level playing field. This may include—where advertisers are unwilling to comply—referral to our legal backstop.”