Ask a Fortune 500 CMO what the most important thing about running a Sweepstakes is, and chances are very good that the top thing on their list is not doing it the “fast and easy” way.

Being part of a high profile company means worrying about security, privacy, consistency of brand, legal compliance and a list of other items that are enough to keep most CMOs awake at night.

Running a Sweepstakes that cuts corners on any one of those items could make their company look bad and cause legal ramifications. The good CMO knows that to avoid these pitfalls they need to plan a custom sweepstakes that is legal, secure and follows all brand and privacy standards – and other company’s could benefit from doing it that way, too.

Here are some ways you can run your next Sweepstakes like a Fortune 500 CMO:

1. Data Security – Right now data security is a big concern for Fortune 500 companies. None of those CMOs wants to have to answer to the media and all of their customers should a data breach expose customer data. Many companies now conduct security audits of any vendors that they work with to collect data on their behalf, including sweepstakes vendors, or they at least ask smart questions to ensure that all of their data security needs are met. If you are setting up a sweepstakes or working with a vendor, make sure your data will be kept secure – insist that a security certificate be used on the web site that collects your consumer data and that all consumer data is encrypted at rest and in transit to you. You should also ask questions to ensure that your data is not being resold or the rights retained by the vendor.

2. Legal Compliance – No Fortune 500 company wants to be in the limelight for running an illegal sweepstakes. Savvy CMOs involve their legal departments early in the sweepstakes planning process to ensure that all legal compliance standards are met. If you do not have an-house legal counsel, you can enlist the help of a Promotional Marketing Agency (Like Marden-Kane!) to help you draft Official Rules and guide you through the legal minefield of promotion law.

3. Privacy – Fortune 500 companies all, without exception, have corporate privacy policies that govern the collection and usage of personal data of customers and consumers that visit their web site. All sweepstakes must abide by those policies. So if you don’t have a privacy policy – get one. And then be sure to ask when setting up your data entry form that the information collected will be used exactly as outlines by your privacy policy.

4. Brand consistency – Fortune 500 companies have logo and brand guidelines that are strictly enforced. This is to prevent a logo from showing up somewhere in bright orange instead of the usual red, and so that your creative does not come across as amateurish. And while your company may be small, you can still enforce simple brand and style guidelines by insisting that your logo and creative elements are not distorted, that they remains a consistent color in all pieces, and that you can veto elements that don’t match your brand. This can sometimes be tricky with some sweeps applications. Ask for specifications from your vendor so you can build creative that can be built to the size needed, and insist that you have the final say in what is printed or posted online.

5. Customization – No CMO wants a call from their CEO asking why a sweepstakes for their company looks just like a Sweepstakes for their closest competitor. Fortune 500 companies insist on having their promotions look distinct – not just in terms of a logo – but in the theme of the sweeps and the prizing and the call to action. In order to stand out, your sweepstakes needs to be as distinct as a sweepstakes for Dell or Microsoft would look. Don’t be a cookie cutter sweeps – make it stand out from the others with a unique call to action and a prize that makes sense for your audience.