IPM Calls for Industry Feedback on Government Zero-Hour Contract Consultation

Flexible Staffing in Promotional Marketing

The promotional marketing industry plays a vital role in connecting brands with consumers through experiential marketing, live activations, and events. This sector thrives on delivering immersive, in-person experiences that drive brand awareness through key tactics such as experiential marketing, foster consumer engagement, and generate sales. From large-scale product launches to intimate pop-up events, promotional marketing requires a dynamic workforce capable of adapting to fluctuating demand patterns.

A significant portion of the workforce in this industry operates on zero-hour contracts. These contracts provide the necessary flexibility for businesses to scale staffing needs based on the unpredictability of campaigns and activations, which vary in timing, size, and location. Zero-hour contracts also empower workers—who may include students, freelancers, and part-time professionals—by offering them the ability to balance multiple commitments while engaging in short-term, flexible work opportunities.

Without the option for zero-hour contracts, the promotional marketing industry may struggle to meet client demands and maintain the high level of agility required to succeed in an environment where staffing needs shift rapidly. The banning of such contracts could place significant strain on the workforce and the industry as a whole, potentially leading to decreased employment opportunities and a reduction in the industry’s economic contribution.

This sector’s reliance on zero-hour contracts is essential to both its success and the broader marketing ecosystem, which depends on flexible staffing solutions to deliver impactful brand experience. 

Next Steps For Industry

The IPM is preparing to represent the interests of the promotional marketing industry in this vital consultation period, highlighting the critical role zero-hour contracts play in retaining a large, adaptable workforce suited to the inconsistent nature of our work. To make our case as robust and evidence-driven as possible, we invite input on several key areas. Feedback, insights, and research contributions will be essential in helping us present a well-rounded and compelling argument.

Economic Impact

Any information or case studies demonstrating how the promotional marketing industry contributes to the wider economy would be invaluable. This includes the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts within your business and how the loss of this flexibility might impact your operations and financial performance.

Workforce Flexibility

We need data and insights on how zero-hour contracts enable flexibility within your organisation, allowing you to respond effectively to fluctuating staffing demands. How critical are these contracts to your ability to manage campaigns? It is also essential to consider how you communicate the nature of these contracts to your workforce. Being transparent about job expectations and potential changes in availability is crucial for building trust and understanding among employees.

Proposed Solutions

We understand the ethical and moral reasons why a ban has been considered in instances where these contracts have been abused. Therefore, we are keen to discuss potential regulatory improvements. If you have suggestions on how to better protect workers while maintaining the flexibility that is so crucial to our sector, please share your thoughts.

Worker Impact

We are seeking testimonials from employees who benefit from the flexibility of zero-hour contracts—whether they are students, part-time workers, or freelancers. What feedback have you received from your workforce regarding the desirability of these contracts, and how might they be affected by a potential ban?

Industry Comparisons

If you have insights or data on how other industries manage flexible labour arrangements, particularly in countries with different labour laws, this could strengthen our argument. Are there any alternative contract structures you’ve seen that balance flexibility with worker protections? If there aren’t this is fine, as long as we can demonstrate we have explored other options.

How You Can Help

Submit your responses to our consultation feedback form that directly addresses the questions posed by government as well as sourcing additional information that will strengthen our collective response.

Information Includes

• Sharing Data: Provide any relevant statistics or case studies from your business or campaigns that rely heavily on flexible staffing arrangements.

• Offering Testimonials: Reach out to your workforce for their perspectives on the value of zero-hour contracts and how a ban might affect them.

• Suggesting Alternatives: If you have ideas for how the industry could address concerns about worker protections without losing flexibility, we’d welcome your feedback. For any questions and more information contact info@theipm.org.uk

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Duncan, you’ve taken monumental strides in animal welfare, from drafting primary legislation to leading a petition with 1.2 million signatures to 10 Downing Street. You have just been named ‘Legal Hero of the Year 2024’ by the Law Society. What inspired you to found STAE and dedicate such extraordinary effort to this cause?

I have always felt a strong affinity for animals—defenceless creatures with a voice we often cannot hear or understand. As humans, we are the only species on Earth that has within its power and dominion the well-being of all other species, a duty I have always been deeply aware of—the need to uphold the dignity and protection of vulnerable creatures.

Asian elephants in particular endure some of the most ruthless suffering in modern tourism and commercial ventures—a trip to India confirmed my worst fears and I felt compelled to act. These gentle giants of the forest, especially their babies, are subjected to unimaginable cruelty during a process called Pajan, where they are beaten and stabbed to break their spirits and make them submissive for use in tourism. Not some age-old tradition but a modern, brutal method designed to quickly turn wild animals into broken, completely submissive husks.

This cruel exploitation, often with the complicity of large international corporations, is what motivated me to establish Save the Asian Elephants (STAE), a charity committed to addressing the extreme suffering of Asian elephants in modern tourism and commercial activities. But what began as a mission to address the suffering of elephants has evolved, and STAE now advocates for the protection of all vertebrate species. This work culminated in the successful drafting and passing of the Animals Low-Welfare Activities Abroad Act, which I’m proud to say is now law.

Having witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of animal exploitation in tourism, how do activities like elephant rides affect both the animals and the tourists involved?

The consequences of animal exploitation in tourism both for humans and animals are devastating. One example that stands out is a venue I visited in Thailand, Nong Nooch Village Garden, where about 60 elephants, half of them babies, are held captive. These elephants are forced to perform in daily shows—activities like playing football, netball, and even stepping carefully over people—all of which are entirely unnatural to their wild instincts. Many of these elephants, particularly the adults have large tusks, which are meant to impress and entertain tourists.

In one tragic incident, a 20-year-old English girl, along with her family, visited the venue and sat in the front row to watch the show. Behind the scenes, the elephants were being stabbed to terrify and subdue them into performing. Until one enormous elephant, unable to endure the abuse any longer, snapped. Its eyes rolled, and it charged at the audience, goring the young girl with its tusks. She died two hours later in her sister’s arms.

This venue continues to operate today, and is still being advertised by numerous UK-based travel companies. Save the Asian Elephants has collected extensive data on the abuse that elephants face in tourism across hundreds of such venues. In fact, over 1,200 travel companies still promote these abusive sites to the UK market. And this is just a microcosm of the wider problem that STAE has been trying to combat through the drafting and successful passing of the Animals Low-Welfare Activities Abroad Act. Which is crucial not only for saving Asian elephants, but also the catastrophic injuries and fatalities inflicted upon both animals and humans alike.

Given your crucial role in developing this legislation, could you outline the chief goals of the Animals Low-Welfare Activities Abroad Act and its potential impact on marketers?

The title of the Act might be a bit of a mouthful, but its importance cannot be overstated. Essentially, this Act makes it an offence in England and Northern Ireland, to advertise or sell access to overseas practices that involve the abuse of any vertebrate species. If the mistreatment would be illegal in the UK, then promoting it abroad is also illegal. This law casts a protective net across the globe, covering not just Asian elephants but countless other species like apes, big cats, dolphins, orcas, bears, bulls, and numerous species of marine and avian life.

For marketers, the message is clear: the law makes advertising or promoting practises involving animal abuse a punishable offence.  Upon conviction a fine and extremely serious adverse publicity can be expected. We’ve called for harsher penalties for repeat offenders, including imprisonment for those who persist in marketing abusive animal-tourism practises.

The Act received overwhelming public support throughout its journey through Parliament. Our petition alone gathered 1.2 million signatures, with an additional 35 million supporting related initiatives. Public sentiment is overwhelmingly in favour of protecting animals from cruel practices, so businesses would be wise to reflect on how this aligns with their brand values and consumer expectations. Failing to properly warn customers or continuing to promote unethical animal attractions can lead to insurance cancellations, particularly if they recklessly market dangerous or harmful venues. The aim of this law isn’t to harm travel companies but to shift the industry from brutal, exploitative practices toward responsible and ethical tourism.

With the explosion of social media platforms like TikTok seeing a 410% increase in travel-related searches, what red flags should consumers, brands, and agencies be mindful of when engaging with animal-related activities abroad?

Social media has an immense power—it can either be an agency for good or for harm, depending on how it’s used. This is particularly true when it comes to promoting or discouraging harmful animal tourism practices. The future survival of many endangered species may well depend on how thoughtfully we use these platforms.

When engaging with animal activities abroad, there are several red flags consumers and marketers should look out for. Some are obvious: look closely at the animals. Are they showing signs of distress, injury, or listlessness? But one crucial rule is this: never participate in, sell, or promote activities where there’s direct contact with wild animals. Unlike horses or dogs, which have been domesticated for over 10,000 years, wild animals—such as elephants, lions, and tigers—are not suited for close human interaction without suffering.

These animals often endure horrific abuse to make them compliant for tourist attractions. In the case of big cats, they’re often declawed, defanged, drugged, and have Vaseline smeared into their eyes to keep them docile for photo opportunities. Similarly, elephants are almost invariably beaten into submission, sustaining permanent physical and psychological damage. At STAE, we’ve documented countless instances of abuse, including elephants with stab wounds, chunks of flesh missing, or even eyes gouged out, all to terrify them into performing. These animals are often reduced to shadows of their former selves, displaying psychological distress through constant stereotypical swaying or nodding—symptoms of their deep trauma.

Significant progress has been made toward a more ethical approach to animal tourism, and public support has been overwhelmingly positive. STAE has identified and encouraged support from every sphere of society both in the UK and overseas: business, the professions, academics, environmentalists, biologists, politicians, church and religious communities, the police, and indeed a growing number of travel companies.

Beyond elephants, do any other species stand to benefit from the Animals Low-Welfare Activities Abroad Act?

Absolutely. This legislation has the potential to benefit hundreds of different species once it’s fully implemented. While elephants face some of the worst exploitation, this law is designed to address the welfare of all vertebrate species across the world that are similarly vulnerable to abuse and often on the brink of extinction. Despite their differences, all of these species share a vulnerability to exploitation that causes tremendous suffering. I’d like to read a short excerpt from one of my letters to the government, outlining the broader impact:

“Add to the list baby monkeys enslaved from the forests to a life of selfies and profile pictures. Tiger Cubs used as photo props only to be drugged, chained, and kept in tiny cages for life. Lions, bred to walk with tourists, are sold on to canned hunting facilities to be killed. Dolphins and orcas held in tiny, featureless pools till death. Ostriches ridden for sport, suffering intense pain. All amongst those to gain from this law, whose ultimate goal is to steer the market towards ethical animal tourism.”

The purpose of this Act is not only to protect elephants but all vertebrate species that suffer in the name of tourism. By steering the market towards ethical animal tourism, we hope to create lasting change for animals worldwide and their habitats. It is my hope that this landmark UK law will serve as a blueprint for other countries across Europe, Asia, the United States, and beyond. The ultimate goal is global change—ensuring ethical treatment for all vertebrate species affected by tourism and marketing, and protecting both animals and humans from the consequences of these exploitative practices.