Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
Last Reviewed: 2024
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Context
3. The method by which information published will be made available
4. Principles
5. Advertising
6. Sponsorship
7. Responsibility
1. Introduction
Spilsby Town Council has a policy on advertising and sponsorship in order to:
• Uphold the Town Council’s reputation and corporate identity.
• Further the Town Council’s strategic vision and support its priorities (by facilitating communication messages).
• Secure best value for money and maximise income.
• Provide a framework and control measures.
• Establish a corporate approach and standards (including best practice).
• Ensure compliance with legislation, advertising industry codes and other Town Council policies.
• Support development of commercial partnerships with the private sector.
2. Context
a. Advertising and sponsorship of a ‘product’ encompasses goods, services, ideas, causes, opportunities, prizes and gifts.
b. Advertising is a form of communication used to raise awareness, encourage or persuade an audience - viewers, readers or listeners or a specific group of people - to do or believe something. Advertising is usually paid for by advertisers or sponsors.
c. Advertising messages can take a variety of forms and can be viewed via a variety of traditional and new media (e.g. newspapers, magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising, direct mail, blogs, websites and text messages).
d. A person who consumes advertising is anyone who is likely to receive a given marketing communication, whether in the course of business or not.
e. To sponsor something is to support an event, activity, person, or organization financially or by providing products or services. It should be mutually beneficial. Sponsorship should not be confused with other types of funding which the Town Council administers, e.g. grants.
3. Scope
a. The Town Council as an owner of an advertising platform or sponsorship opportunity which an external individual, group or organisation may wish to take up.
b. Recruitment advertising placed by the Town Council should take account of this policy but is covered by a separate procedure.
c. Any historical sponsorship or advertising arrangements will be reviewed.
4. Principles
a. When working with an advertiser or sponsor, it is important that any agreement supports the Town Council’s strategic vision, Constitution and Equality Policy.
b. The Town Council will refuse applications from companies who are in dispute with the Town Council or where there is pending/active legal action. We will also not accept advertising or sponsorship from companies who are in contract negotiation with the Town Council where this may be viewed as an endorsement of this bid.
c. The Town Council will uphold the Publicity Code of recommended practice on local authority publicity1. This means the Town Council is not able to enter into an advertising or sponsorship agreement which connects the Town Council with lending support to any political party.
d. Whether advertising and/or sponsorship is a suitable method or whether external requests to use Town council owned platforms should be approved, will be decided on a case-by-case basis on the merits of each opportunity or request.
1 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a75a04aed915d506ee80433/1878324.pdf
5. Advertising
a. The Town Council abides by national guidance published by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) - the UK's independent regulator of advertising across all online and offline media. The central principle for all advertising (marketing communications) is that it should be legal, decent, honest and truthful. For more information visit: www.asa.org.uk
b. All advertising on Council owned advertising platforms must adhere to the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. This code provides the rules for non-broadcast advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing communications. For further details visit: http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/codes/cap_code/CodeIndex.htm. (Webmaster's note: this link does not work).
c. The Council will advertise its own services and offers as appropriate using its own platforms. This may include adverts relating to traded services or quasi-trading services, which generate an income. The Council permits paid-for advertising on some of the platforms it owns and this may include advertising from for-profit companies. In both these circumstances the Town Council will comply with the Supply of Goods and Services Act.
d. The Council encourages advertising on its own platforms that supports its strategic vision for Spilsby. This might include advertising messages on safety, healthy living and environmental sustainability; messages which support local businesses; and promotion of events and attractions that would attract visitors into the town.
e. The Town Council will not permit any advertising that represents a conflict of interest or is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Particular care should be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability.
f. Content that is not permitted for advertising includes, but is not limited to, advertising that contains, infers or suggests any of the following:
i. Advocacy of, or opposition to, any politically, environmentally or socially controversial subjects or issues.
ii. Disparagement or promotion of any person or class of persons.
iii. Promotion or incitement of illegal, violent or socially undesirable acts.
iv. Promotion or availability of tobacco products, weapons, gambling or illegal drugs.
v. Advertising of financial organisations and loan advancers with punitive interest rates.
vi. Promotion or availability of adult or sexually orientated entertainment materials.
vii. Advertising that infringes on any trademark, copyright or patent rights of another company.
viii. Claims or representations in violation of advertising or consumer protection laws.
g. All applicants wishing to utilise Town Council owned advertising media must adhere to this policy.
h. The Town Council has a duty to seek best value for money when placing advertising. The Town Clerk will provide expertise on whether advertising is the most appropriate marketing communications method
i. The Town Council holds personal data of service users and careful consideration needs to be given to whether it is appropriate and legal (Data Protection Act) for this to be used for any advertising or direct marketing purposes. Wherever possible people should be asked whether they are willing to ‘opt in’ to receive news, information or advertising messages from the Town Council when personal data is gathered.
6. Sponsorship
a. Sponsorship is not a way for any company or organisation to be viewed favourably by the Town Council in any other business arrangements they might be a party to.
b. Organisations that will not be considered or approved for sponsorship opportunities include, but are not limited to, those which represent a conflict of interest or are connected directly or indirectly with the following:
i. Advocacy of, or opposition to, any politically, environmentally or socially controversial subjects or issues.
ii. Disparagement or promotion of any person or class of persons.
iii. Promotion or incitement of illegal, violent or socially undesirable acts.
iv. Promotion or availability of tobacco products, weapons, gambling or illegal drugs.
v. Financial organisations and loan advancers with punitive interest rates.
vi. Promotion or availability of adult or sexually orientated entertainment materials.
vii. An infringement on any trademark, copyright or patent rights of another company.
c. Publicity and media coverage will be arranged by the Town Council for all appropriate sponsorship deals.
d. Sponsorship of the Monday Market Stalls will be restricted to a maximum of 12 weeks and will only be considered by the Town Council when verified by East Lindsey District Council’s Markets’ Officer in writing.
7. Responsibility
a. All council services and employees must comply with this policy.
b. Whether advertising and/or sponsorship is a suitable method or whether external requests to use Town Council owned platforms should be approved, will be decided on a case-by-case basis on the merits of each opportunity or request.
c. Decisions on sponsorship opportunities will be taken by an appropriate Committee.