The allure of a sweepstakes rules generator is that you can create a set of sweepstakes rules for less money and less time. In fact, back in the day, Marden-Kane had an online sweepstakes rules generator of our own. Clients at that time could easily and cost-effectively create their own sweepstakes rules without legal fees or lengthy review times. The reality, however, was that most of our clients actually needed a custom solution. They would generate the rules and then realize that significant changes would need to be made. And while custom changes are always possible, if you don’t realize you need to make them you could end up in legal trouble.
So is a sweepstakes rules generator the right way to go for your brand? Here are some questions we ask to help you decide.
- Does your company’s legal department need to add things to the sweepstakes rules and have a third party review the changes?
- Do you need to find a third party to indemnify your sweepstakes?
- Will your sweepstakes be outside the USA or open internationally?
- Are you giving away prizes in the USA with a total approximate retail value of over $5,000?
- Is any one prize in your USA sweepstakes valued at $600 or more?
- Is it really a contest and not a sweepstakes?
- Do you want to require a purchase to enter?
- Is your method of entry via texting?
- Are you marketing to children?
- Are you giving away a trip or tickets to an event?
- Will you need the rules to be in more than one language?
If you answered yes (or I don’t know) to any of the above questions, you will most likely need a set of custom rules. Each of the instances listed above require a more hands-on approach, and very specific verbiage and terms be included in your rules. Or different laws apply altogether. Don’t pay the legal price for not knowing what you don’t know – go to a promotional marketing company familiar with sweepstakes law.
Marden-Kane can help you draft custom, legal official rules for your sweepstakes (or contest!). Contact us today for a quote.
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