(source)

According to Matthew Sweeney, author of The Lottery Wars, Americans spent about $60 billion on lottery tickets… in 2008 alone. You know why? Because we like to WIN.

Of course, when we think about the lottery rationally, we know the odds of winning are extremely slim. How slim? The precise odds depend on where you play, but in some states your chances are as slim as 120 million to 1. You are 45 times more likely to die from a lightning strike (source).

Now, I don’t play the lottery and I am a terrible gambler (in the sense that I am no gambler at all), but I fully admit to regularly entering contests with no monetary buy-in. You know the kind- “drop your business card in the bowl and win a free lunch” or “follow us on Twitter for a chance to win a free trip to Cancun”. In my mind, you’d be stupid not to play!

Yesterday I was lured in yet again. While tidying the reception area (or you know, eating the last chocolate coconut haystack, whatever you want to call it), I came across a card from Malley’s Chocolates advertising a $500.00 cash prize.

I could have sworn I wrote about this before, but Malley’s Chocolates is a chain of confectionary stores in Ohio. When Debbie- who works from Ohio- comes to visit, she brings assorted goodies that we gobble up in a matter of days. Chocolate-covered Fritos, dipped Twinkies, nutty crack brittle… we love her.

But back to my point.

Smart marketers understand our love of winning, and they structure promotions that prey on our irrational dreams of winning big bucks with minimal effort. I love to see contests combined with promotional products- it’s like a one-two punch. The contest strengthens brand loyalty by engaging existing customers, and the item provides visual branding to attract new business. 

Malley’s Chocolates offers their branded car decals to customers at no charge, in exchange for their name, contact information and license plate number. If your car is spotted out and about, bearing the oval sticker, you’re entered into a monthly drawing for a $500 cash prize. For the one-time expense of a few thousand decals and a monthly expense of the cash prize, Malley’s Chocolates has a sales team of Ohioans on the road promoting their business and provoking candy cravings 24/7.

I’ll take those odds.

(source)

Working in the promotional marketing field, I view most corporate promotions through a very skeptical, critical lens. For a company’s outreach effort to actually inspire me to participate, keep me engaged and cause me to care about an outcome – well, that earns my respect. Promotions that maintain an ongoing level of excitement, that feel credible and that actually succeed in building relationships don’t come along every day.

Recently, I came across a contest hosted by HealthPlan Headquarters, a Baltimore firm that provides guidance and information to anyone trying to navigate the confusing (understatement) world of medical, dental, vision, life and disability or property and casualty insurance coverage.  With an email blast and media (social and traditional) blitz, HPHQ announced the launch of their corporate website and a chance to win an iPad.

I liked this contest. The iPad, a sexy prize, got my attention.  The contest, a well-laid out website scavenger hunt, kept it.  As I went through the website, it became clear to me that these folks know their stuff, and their services offer real benefits to insurance consumers (i.e. everyone).  I had to email my contest entry in, and I got a quick, friendly, personal feeling response. And, when I didn't win, I was asked for feedback in such a way that I found myself eager to respond. 

One of the most impactful portions of the promotion occurred on the day of the contest winner announcement.Throughout that day, HPHQ updated their Facebook status with contest teasers, links to some noteworthy publicity, hiring announcements and actual useful information about their area of expertise. I had to pay attention to every update, hoping I would see my name as the iPad winner, and must say that I learned more about this company than I intended to.

Anybody can run a promotion by giving away a cool prize. The marketing challenge arises not in giving away the best free stuff, but in building ongoing relationships with participants. Helping our clients make that jump in understanding offers one of the most satisfying aspects of our work. Usually, I am part of the team on the back end, putting the promotion into action. It is a rare treat – fun, pure and simple - to be the recipient of that type of effort, put forth by someone who does it well.