John Donovan letter published in Marketing Week magazine September 1991 Page 24 as part of a feature focussed on a Daily Express Promotion.
Expressing doubts over promotion
John Donovan letter
I was interested to read the letters from Alan Toop and Alan Frame commenting on your recent article, Express promotion reveals a prize flaw”.
Tops remarks imply the Express promotion was illegal, but that, in his opinion, the law needs liberalising. The law may or may not be an ass, but it is the law. We are all free to campaign for change but, in the meantime, legislation should be respected and enforced.
We all know questionable “no purchase necessary” promotions have multiplied in recent years. Consequently, we should not be too surprised if the reported police investigations result in prosecutions being mounted. I understand the directors of a company involved in printing or promoting an illegal lottery can be charged with committing a criminal offence, so there could be some very nasty surprises in store.
Frame claims the quote was taken out of context. But Frame’s most startling quote, if accurately reported, spoke volumes about his respect for the law.
Finally, if the Express ran the promotion purely for unselfish reasons, why did it specify that each entry depended on submitting six tokens, each obtainable only by purchasing the Express?
John Donovan
Managing Director
Don Marketing
Bury St Edmunds
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