Build your brand with a contest?
Did you read our ad in last month’s High Country News? You would’ve seen the “paint the easter egg” contest AdMaki Creative held. And if you would’ve entered your masterpiece to Kate as per instructions, you’d be the envy of fashionistas worldwide. Alas, as we had no contest entrants, so the highly coveted trucker hat stays under the pool table.
Using a contest to build your brand comes with some risks. It must be strategically focused, well thought out, well executed and creative enough to garner interest. Be it a colouring contest, name-the-product, or guess the number rice grains in a piece of futomaki, or one of thousands of ways brands try to attract new customers, contests can play a part in your marketing. Businesses often think a contest is how you build a following, grow your customer base, in order to make reams of money. It’s not that simple. In this article, I’d like to speak to the pros of using contests in your marketing. In the following month, we’ll look at the cons.
People love contests like bears love my backyard bird feeders. Promise a prize for completing a simple task like colouring an Easter egg and viola, folks will break out their Sharpies, crayons or acrylics to get their hands on the goods (Or not in our case). Some may even share their experience and tell their friends on social media. What a way to build instant brand awareness. Free publicity!
Contests, as mentioned above, can increase engagement with your brand. People who share or comment about their contest experience with your brand are sure to become ambassadors for you. And you don’t have to pay them a single penny. And imagine, on digital platforms, you become that much more discoverable. As I’ve always believed, word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising be it in conversation on or off-line.
With the right strategy in combination with your brand’s personality, your brand can extend beyond your local target area with the right type of contest. Here are two examples of extremely popular and successful contests:
Tim Hortons’ “Roll Up the Rim to Win” and McDonald’s “Want PRIZE with that” contests are successful because they combine simplicity, excitement, and repeat engagement. Both campaigns are easy to understand. Buy a product, play the game and you’ve had a dopamine fix for the day.
Participation is effortless. Each offers a mix of instant and grand prizes, which keeps customers hopeful and coming back for more. Frequent small wins, like free coffee or fries, encourage daily purchases, while the chance at larger prizes generates buzz and media attention. These contests also create a sense of tradition and nostalgia. And people look forward to them each year. Social sharing and FOMO further increase participation, turning everyday purchases into a fun game. By gamifying the buying experience and rewarding loyalty, both brands have created iconic promotions that drive sales, build customer excitement, and strengthen brand loyalty. For just a donut or a side of fries, they’ve got you hooked.
You can use contests to your advantage. But be aware that used incorrectly, they can cause a lot of grief or worse, hurt your brand. We’ll look into that next month.
Cheers, mark.
