All Marketing knowledge

In the UK you almost always need someone's permission before sending them a marketing email or text - unless you can tick every box of the 'soft opt-in' exemption. Marketing to other businesses is lighter-touch, but not a free-for-all. And since 5 February 2026 the ICO can fine breaches up to £17.5 million, so a permission-based list isn't just good manners - it's the law. What counts as direct marketing (and why it matters) Direct marketing is any advertising or promotional

Grindr has agreed to pay £26m to settle a UK group action from around 12,000 users over alleged data-sharing with ad partners — a landmark warning on the cost of ad-targeting data leaks.

A study by Wortliga and Media 4 Nature reviewing hundreds of company websites found the majority of environmental claims would violate the EU's EmpCo directive, which takes effect at the end of September 2026.

Clearcast, the UK's TV-ad clearance body, is extending into digital for the first time with an AI pre-screening tool, iClear, and a human review service, allClear, to check campaigns against the CAP Code.

The ICO has fined Cardiff firm Elderly Aids Ltd £190,000 for making 758,053 unsolicited marketing calls to TPS-registered people — while selling call-blocking devices.

The Deutscher Werberat's half-year report logged 836 complaints — nearly triple a year earlier — with gender discrimination still the leading issue.

Germany's LFK Baden-Württemberg media authority imposed a record €36,000 fine on influencer Hanadi Diab for inadequate ad labelling in Instagram Stories — its largest ever.

Meta has appealed a French competition-authority order that would force it to renegotiate its neighbouring-rights payments to French publishers — a signal fight in the ongoing battle over how platforms pay for news content.

France’s DGCCRF has fined fast-fashion site Boohoo €2.33m for fake ‘reference price’ discounts — with 95% of checked promotions found non-compliant.

Bill-pay firm Doxo will pay $2.1m to settle FTC allegations it ran misleading search ads impersonating billers and charged hidden fees — a warning on paid search tactics.

The ASA has banned a Boots ‘free No7 lotion’ newspaper promotion after a customer couldn’t redeem the voucher — a sharp reminder that ‘subject to availability’ is not a get-out-of-jail card.

France's ad self-regulator the ARPP has published a practical guide on when and how to label AI-generated advertising, landing as new EU transparency rules take effect.

In the UK, any influencer content created in return for payment, free products, commission or a commercial relationship must be clearly labelled as advertising — and the clearest label is the word “Ad”, shown upfront. Two regulators enforce this: the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) through the CAP Code, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which since 6 April 2025 can fine businesses up to 10% o

A government consultation under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2024 proposes plain white vape packaging, devices in white, black or grey only, and 'simple recognisable' flavour names — directly constraining the sector's core branding levers.

The ASA has banned BoyleSports' 'Bank Builder Jackpot' free-bets promotion as socially irresponsible — ruling that the reward structure itself, not the wording, encouraged repetitive gambling. A precedent every operator should note.

The FCA has launched a £2m nationwide campaign telling drivers they can complain about mis-sold car finance for free — a behavioural-marketing masterclass UK brands can learn from.

From 2 August 2026, the EU AI Act’s Article 50 requires AI chatbots and AI-generated content to be disclosed. UK brands running EU campaigns are in scope — here is a checklist.

Ofcom's new Use of Age Assurance report shows real progress on online age checks — but tells social platforms the job is 'not done'. Here is why that reshapes audience targeting.

The ASA says 96.2% of monitored gambling ads now comply with the rules — a win for its AI-powered Active Ad Monitoring. But alcohol lags, and social is the weak spot.

Ofcom is investigating TikTok's age assurance under the Online Safety Act, with fines up to 10% of global turnover. Here is why brand-safety