Advertiser Websites and Social Networking Activity to be Covered in the CAP Code from 1st March 2011.

The digital remit of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is to be extended significantly to deliver more comprehensive consumer protection online. Importantly, for IAB members, methods of branded communication such as advertisers’ own websites and social networking pages will now be covered within the CAP Code.

The ASA’s present remit online includes ads in paid-for space and sales promotions wherever they appear. But from next year, the rules in the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (the CAP Code) will apply in full to marketing communications online, including the rules relating to misleading advertising, social responsibility and the protection of children. The remit will apply to all sectors and all businesses and organisations regardless of size.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), the body responsible for writing the CAP Code, has decided to extend the digital remit of the ASA in response to a formal recommendation from a wide cross-section of UK industry, including the IAB. CAP has today published a document detailing the new remit and sanctions. In summary:

The new remit will ensure the same high standards as in other media and will cover:

• Advertisers’ own marketing communications on their own websites and;
• Marketing communications in other non-paid-for space under their control, such as social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The remit is focussed on ‘selling’ messages in order to protect the right to freedom of speech online. For example, journalistic and editorial content and material related to causes and ideas - except those that are direct solicitations of donations for fund-raising - are excluded from the remit.

Nick Stringer, director of regulatory affairs for the IAB said: “Self-regulation must maintain pace with today’s fast-moving digital environment and changing consumer behaviour. The ASA’s extended digital media remit aims to protect internet users and enhance their trust, as well as industry and political confidence, in the medium.”

Implementation

The remit will come into force on 1 March 2011 after a six month period of grace to allow the ASA and CAP to conduct training work to raise awareness and educate business on the requirements of the CAP Code, particularly amongst those who may not previously have been subject to ASA regulation. Website owners and agencies are urged to sign up to CAP Services at www.cap.org.uk to receive guidance and training to help ensure their sites comply with the new rules before 1 March 2011.

CAP Chairman Andrew Brown said, “Extending the online remit of the ASA has been a top priority for UK industry over the last couple of years. Our aim has been to extend further in the online world the principles that are already well established in our system, namely those of effective consumer protection and fair competition.”

To help their members better understand the reasons behind and implications of the ASA’s new remit, the IAB has published a list of FAQs on its website (111k), and will be launching a programme of education – to include briefing documents and events – in the coming months.

Amy Kean, head of the IAB social media council, said: “The ASA’s new remit should be celebrated by the social media industry, as the move will only serve to reinforce the integrity of the discipline and reassure advertisers that the work of their agencies remains ethical and transparent. We intend to spend the next few months helping social media practitioners make sense of the changes with ongoing conversations about how the updated CAP Code will be implemented.”

Sanctions

In addition to the ASA’s present sanctions, which already achieve a high level of compliance, CAP member bodies have agreed new sanctions to apply to the extended remit such as:

• Removal of paid-for search advertising – ads that link to the page hosting the non-compliant marketing communication may be removed with the agreement of the search engines.
• ASA paid-for search advertisements - the ASA could place advertisements online highlighting an advertiser‟s continued non-compliance.

Funding

The industry has agreed to apply the standard 0.1% levy on paid-for advertisements appearing on internet search engines through media and search agencies. This is an extension of the existing funding mechanism in other media that pays for the ASA and it will be supplemented initially with seed capital from Google.

ASA Chairman Lord Chris Smith said, “This significant extension of the ASA’s remit has the protection of children and consumers at its heart. We have received over 4,500 complaints since 2008 about marketing communications on websites that we couldn’t deal with, but from 1 March anyone who has a concern about a marketing communication online will be able to turn to the ASA.”

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Davenports – Helping You Through The Economic Crisis

As the economic crisis starts to bite, often the first to feel it are the small businesses. However, there are many steps that can be taken in order to reduce the effects and to ensure that you come out the other end stronger and ready to take advantage of recovery. Davenports have a range of offerings that are designed to re-enforce all of the accepted advice on business survival. Here are our top tips and how we will address them for you.

Control expenditure

Every business has scope for reducing costs. You should be carrying out an audit of all of your expenditure and a good place to start is with your true costs of paper processing. Using Davenports all processing is electronic ensuring that postage and printing costs are reduced whilst also reducing your carbon footprint at the same time.

Collect debts with enthusiasm

Many small businesses find that payments to them are late and that valuable management time is taken up with chasing debts. Davenports can manage all of your debt problems leaving you free to develop new markets and position yourself for recovery.

Focus marketing

Too many businesses cut their marketing costs when times are hard. The surviving companies continue to market but focus their work so as to get the maximum return on their marketing investment. Disappearing from the radar is a sure fire way of people thinking you have gone. Davenports can assist you in keeping a strong presence in the marketplace through their web design services.

Maintain and improve quality

In difficult times the customer has to feel valued. You need to ensure that you are offering a level of service that reflects this. Paying your bills on time and processing in a professional manner all helps to convince people that you are a reputable business. Davenports accountancy services linked to debt management can ensure that you provide a quality service whilst also ensuring that you do not run into cashflow problems.

Don’t be complacent

You may feel that you have everything under control and that you have all the suppliers that you need. However, if you are finding things tight so may many of your suppliers. By choosing Davenports you not only have a supplier with a long track record of quality service delivery, you also minimise your dependence on suppliers by using one supplier for a number of services. Sensible businesses always have an alternative in these difficult times.

Be honest about your business

Burying your head in the sand about the true state of your business will do you no good and will probably lead to things getting worse. Davenports understand that it is difficult in today’s business world to be perfect at everything. We are realistic enough to accept the shortcomings of our clients and we are happy to work with them to resolve them. One of our favourite phrases with our clients is that we offer to ‘unmuddle things for them. So let us help you to face up to the challenges within your business.

Position yourself for recovery

In order to be best placed for recovery you need time to innovate and develop new markets. This is impossible to do if you spend all of your waking day fire-fighting and trying to survive to the next dawn. Davenports service offerings are designed to leave you free to be the innovator that you started out as before the economic situation started to bite.

We are not someone that wants to tell you what to do. We are an organisation that exists to work in partnership with you, releasing your potential to return to being a business owner, not a business slave. All of our offerings are designed to tackle the real problems facing you and businesses like you. They aim to ensure that we will be working together in the good times as well as the present ones.

Take responsibility for your own destiny

In difficult times it is easy to do nothing and blame everything from the Government to the problems with mortgages on the other side of the Atlantic. The trouble with that approach is that failure becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. Those businesses that use this time to strengthen the way they do business, position themselves for new markets and see the present situation as an opportunity for the future will be the ones to benefit. Davenports exists to help those that want to look for a way forward rather than those that want to adopt a blame philosophy.

Remember:

There are three types of people in this world –

• Those that make things happen
• Those that watch things happen
• Those that say ‘what the hell happened’.

If you want to be someone that makes things happen, please contact us.

Davenport Web Digital e-Brochure Editions

Davenport Web Digital e-Brochure Editions can bring you massive cost savings with no print or postage costs, increased and unlimited distribution, instant delivery, interaction and multimedia and most importantly the familiar look of turning pages so users can flip and browse easily just like they do with your print versions.  But the advantages don’t stop there, with a virtual document you can easily add latest updates with new pages, bring links to websites and email contacts live, create click and buy from product images, create an atmosphere with music and sound effects and bring the page to life with flash and video clips.

For more information contact us now.

New Product Launch - Ideal Christmas Present

Davenports Vouchers

What ever the function davenports can cater for your business needs across the accountancy, web and print spectrums. These gift cards can be used as thoughtful yet functional gifts throughout the year.

Postage and Packaging only costs £1.00 - All gift cards are sent by 1st class royal mail

Visit our new page,  click on link below

Davenport Vouchers

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

From the team at Davenports.

Davenports Cater for International Customers

Take a tour of our three areas of expertise

• Accountancy
• Web
• Print & Design

Davenports welcome customers from around the world!

If you want to pay in UK pounds, US dollars or Euros, then go ahead and purchase in the usual way.

Why not contact us to see how Davenports can help!

Website Critique Service

Get the best out of your website. Through our comprehensive range of reports and marketing strategy services, we will provide you with the opportunity to gain an objective insight into where your website is failing, establish and prioritise what can be done to improve your site, increase visibility on line and in turn increase your return on investment.

Does your company need a website evaluation? Here’s how to tell -

• Is your website performing well in the search engines?
• Does your website meet the basic standard?
• Does your website conform to the Disability Discrimination Act?
• Does your website give you a return on investment?

If you have answered no to any of the above, then your website needs some maintenance and updating to help it achieve optimum performance for your company.

Visit our web section, or contact us today for more information.

Services for Directors and Owners

As a business director or owner it’s essential you can identify and meet the core skills your business needs to be successful.

These skills will be the same whatever business you run - whether you’re a sole-trading builder or you head a manufacturing company employing dozens of people.

There are intangible skills you will need, such as leadership skills, the ability to cope with long hours and hard work, and the inner resources to deal with stress and risk-taking. They also include strategy-setting and the ability to build and manage a team.

There are also functional skills that all businesses need. The smaller your business, the more of these skills you will need personally:

• finance - including cashflow planning, credit-management and managing relationships with your bank and accountant
• marketing - including advertising, promotion and PR
• sales - including pricing, negotiating, customer service and tracking competitors
• procurement and buying - including tendering, managing contracts, stock control and inventory planning
• administration - including bookkeeping, billing, accounts preparation and payroll handling
• personnel - including recruitment, dispute resolution, motivating staff and managing training
• personal business skills - including computer, written and oral communication, and organisational skills

To run a successful business it’s essential you recognise the limits of your abilities. So, as a business owner or director you also need the skill to know when it is best to hand over tasks to others by either:

• delegating
• recruiting
• outsourcing

For a quotation on any of our services please choose any of our departments to help your business grow: accountancy, web or print & design. Alternatively, you can simply get in touch.

Pferdepension Staffelegghof AG Testimonial

Rosa Knuesel - Owner - Switzerland

“We did not know how to go about it, until our daughter suggested to use Davenports. Davenports’ web developer manager was extremely friendly and helpful and had lots of good ideas which we ultimately implemented and he was able to create a clean and uncomplicated website for our horse farm. It took no time at all and the result is great.”

Visit Pferdepension Staffelegghof.