Winning isn’t everything.
If you want a winning promotion, you need a real sweepstakes marketing agency.
Do you feel lucky? It takes more than luck to run a successful sweepstakes. An agency that specializes solely in sales promotions might tell you otherwise, but even short-term endeavors like a sweepstakes or contest should connect to your brand and its position in the marketplace.
In fact, as America’s #1 Positioning Ad Agency, Innis Maggiore is strict about having everything about a company and all marketing it does trace back to its brand position. Making exceptions here and there can become a bad habit that’s sloppy and lazy.
You might be saying, “Lighten up, Francis,” but it’s really not that difficult to ensure you lead with your brand position. Because we’re a sweepstakes marketing agency that’s also full-service in our capabilities, Innis Maggiore has a broader view of your brand and understands the dedication and discipline it takes to strengthen your position in every way possible.
Considered one of the most popular and enduring promotions, the “HGTV Dream Home Giveaway” is a perfect example of a promo that’s rooted in positioning. The network sums it up perfectly by saying, “HGTV stands for home,” inspiring and influencing trends in design, outdoor living, and real estate while “sharing advice based on expertise, and tips and tricks based on experience.” Given the network’s tradition of making homes better, it made sense that they created an event that gives away a dream home. That is brand positioning translated into a successful promo.
If sweepstakes and giveaways can stem from a brand’s position, what about a contest? When long-term Innis Maggiore client Smith’s Dairy wanted an event to excite retailers and entice consumers with something special, the agency recommended a recipe contest — yet one directly inspired by the brand position. We had coined their tagline, “Tradition you can taste,” so it was only natural to riff off of that with a contest in which consumers entered a holiday recipe (using Smith’s products, of course) that best embodies their family’s tradition. “‘What’s Your Smith’s Tradition?’ Recipe Contest” became a popular, multi-year event, a tradition unto itself.
Now, it’s your turn to play.
Let’s pretend that you’re a new Innis Maggiore client (the spoiler alert is that there’s a form at the end of this thing precisely to impel that very outcome) after a search for a sweepstakes marketing agency.
You’ve been thinking about conducting a sales promotion, maybe a sweepstakes or maybe a contest. Which makes this a good time to explain the distinction. Though it’s not uncommon (even by those in our industry) to use those terms interchangeably, each is distinct. A sweepstakes is a game of chance in which a winner is randomly chosen, while a contest is judged on the basis of skill. Publishers Clearing House has run the most famous sweepstakes since 1967. “Shot on iPhone,” on the other hand, was a contest that used one of the product’s most notable features to demonstrate its quality. With that out of the way, let’s jump in for a collaborative brainstorming session!
- What do you sell and what’s the one thing your brand stands for? Pasta sauce that’s a true Sicilian style … the family-friendly convenience store … customer-centric healthcare … the rational wealth management investor … Ohio’s leading Non-Emergent Transportation … collision repair that makes your car like new … the high-performance artificial turf … or leader in dust control and soil stabilization innovations? These are all examples of some of Innis Maggiore clients’ positioning.
Since we can’t hear you answer, we’ll fill in the answer for you using another agency client — Orlando Baking — and its brand position as Northeast Ohio’s oldest bakery (a family-owned favorite for over 150 years). - What is the main objective of the promotion? Acquire new distribution … expand shelf space … take advantage of seasonality like tax time … introduce a new product … shake up a slow business … get some PR?
Still can’t hear you! We’ll help you again with the answer that your company is celebrating its 150th anniversary and want to take advantage of that rare opportunity. - Given your product and position, what concepts work well with that combination? Give away 150 loaves of bread … make the Guinness Record’s largest sandwich … a cause-related program donating baked goods to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank in tribute to the 150th year?
You probably liked the idea of a contest, but different from the one mentioned earlier. We could do something called “The Great American Sandwich Search” and make it a contest in which participants share their own creations and we have celebrity judges pick the winners! Better still, we’ll add interest by making several categories such as “Best Culturally Inspired Sandwich,” “Best Sandwich for Sports Fans,” “Best Grilled Cheese with a Twist,” “Best Breakfast Sandwich,” and “Best Plant-Based Sandwich.” - What kind of prizes make sense because of your product, position, or objective? Free product, of course, but retailers might not like the idea of “taking consumers out of the market.” Research shows that the most popular prizes are cash or gift cards. A gift card makes perfect sense for our convenience store client, BellStores, as they already have their own BellBucks gift card.
We hear you loud and clear. Since the reason we’re doing this event is because of Orlando’s 150th anniversary and that Orlando’s brand position is tied to that legacy, we’ll make cash rewards of a $1,500 grand prize and $150 for multiple first prize winners. Consider it done!
As we like to say around here, “Gweat job!” You’re on your way to collaborating with Innis Maggiore, your new contest and sweepstakes marketing agency, to fashion some tasty sales promotions for your brand. All you have to do is fill out that form below.
And if you guessed that this was a real event we actually conceptualized and promoted, you’re right. The Orlando Baking “Great American Sandwich Search” pulled in 233 entries, with the event garnering several thousand contest page visits, more than 2 million impressions, and nearly 40% new Facebook followers. The agency also secured a feature article and interview in the region’s best and largest circulation lifestyle publication, Cleveland Magazine.
Don’t play around and rely on luck.
Hoping for the best is like hoping to win the lottery. Instead, contact the #1 positioning ad agency in the nation, Innis Maggiore. We’re sure to make a winning combination!