Announcing our top 10 promotional marketing posts from 2020. It has been a wild year, but businesses are finding new ways to market and promote themselves using games and incentives. These are the 10 things that resonated most in 2020 with the businesses we serve that will help carry their marketing into 2021 and beyond!
1. How to Run a Legal Scavenger Hunt
Ever thought about running a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt as part of your brand’s marketing efforts? A legal scavenger hunt is the way to engage your loyal customers and offer a fun, immersive experience. Depending on the level of skill involved in your scavenger hunt, the promotion may be deemed a contest (skill-based) or a sweepstakes (game of chance). Either way, you will want to have a full set of legal, official rules in place to govern the promotion to cover all possibilities… Continue reading →
2. 8 Creative Employee Incentive Ideas to Inspire Your Work From Home Staff
COVID-19 has turned many companies upside down in how they approach their work and the engagement of their employees. Here are 8 employee incentive ideas to inspire your work from home staff to work harder than ever, even when the new normal is not so normal. Continue reading →
3. No Purchase Necessary for Running a Sweepstakes
In the United States, No Purchase Necessary is a term associated with all sweepstakes. Legally, in order to run a sweepstakes you cannot require a purchase in order to enter. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t ask entrants to make a purchase – it just means that anyone entering without purchase must have the same chance as someone entering with purchase. Continue reading →
4. Prize Fulfillment Considerations for Your Next Sweepstakes or Contest
Prize fulfillment is the part of the sweepstakes or contest that consumers may love the best, but for the promotion administrator there is a lot more involved than putting a prize in the mail. Here are 6 things to consider when putting together a plan for prize fulfillment for your next sweepstakes, contest or instant win game. Continue reading →
5. Can You Run an Instagram Stories Sweepstakes?
Clients have been asking us lately if they can run an Instagram Stories sweepstakes or contest. Here are the facts. What are Instagram Stories? Instagram Stories are a feature of Instagram that allows users to post short videos or photos of their day in a sort of “highlight reel” that disappears in 24 hours. Similar to Snapchat, you can add text or animation or effects to your posts, as well as decide if they are public or available to only your followers. Continue reading →
6. Federal Lottery Laws Explained
According to Federal Lottery Laws, it is illegal to operate a lottery through the mail or over the telephone. Let’s begin by explaining what a lottery is…A lottery is generally defined as a promotion in which all three of the following elements are present: prize, chance and consideration (otherwise known as, the “Standard Lottery Rule”). Most states follow this Standard Lottery Rule; and all 50 states and the District of Columbia have statutes that prohibit lotteries, except those that are state-run. Continue reading →
7. 11 Small Business Social Promotion Ideas for the Shutdown
Small businesses, especially those considered non-essential right now, have to come up with creative ideas to retain loyal customers and ensure that they will have a business to reopen. For most small business this is definitely not “business as usual,” but rather, “business unusual” that keeps you in the black. For each of these small business social promotion ideas, please remember that each social platform has promotion guidelines that still apply and the FTC is still watching to make sure you are running your hashtag promotions legally. Continue reading →
8. Mexico Sweepstakes Basics
Are you thinking of running a sweepstakes in Mexico? If the answer is yes, then you should note that the Mexico sweepstakes laws and regulations regarding promotions (e.g., games of chance and/or contests of skill) differ from US law and other countries. We compiled a list of frequently asked questions we typically receive regarding promotions in Mexico that should provide you with some general information during your planning stages. Continue reading →
9. Use Unique Codes for Your Next Instant Win or Sweepstakes
Using unique codes can enhance your next sweepstakes, giveaway, or instant win game. With unique codes incorporated into your promotion you can: Provide tracking of entrants back to a region or store. Give your sales team a specific range of codes that can be tracked back to their sales, which can give you the opportunity to reward the highest producers. Pinpoint game participation to a specific geographic area. Determine which products are the biggest drivers in the promotion. Continue reading →
10. 10 Amazing Prizes Under $600 Your Customers Will Want to Win
In the United States, winners are required to pay taxes on prizes they win, but if prizes are valued at over $600 then the promotion sponsor is also required to collect W-9’s and issue 1099’s to each winner. That’s why many sponsors like to find prizes under $600 that are coveted by winners, but don’t require the additional headache of having to collect additional personally identifying information (PII) in order to issue 1099’s. Here are ten prizes under $600 your customers will want to win. Continue reading →
If you need help with your promotional marketing in the coming year, contact us. We can help make your program a success.
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