Put a Solid Contest Administration Plan in Place

One essential element of a successful contest is making sure you have a solid plan to administer the various aspects of the promotion. It begins with making certain what you are considering is compliant with lottery laws and a variety of legal guidelines.

The first thing to consider is the difference between a contest and a sweepstakes. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably and incorrectly. Winners in a contest are determined by skill based on the strength of the entry material against some judgable criteria Winners in a sweepstakes are determined solely by chance where all entries are essentially created equal. Contest administration involves many of the same elements as a sweepstakes promotion does however there are additional details to consider around the contest entry itself. The official rules for a contest is going to be the place to expand on the call to action and qualify what is an eligible submission.

In all cases a submission must be the original work of the person entering. It cannot have been used in any other competition. The reason for this is that most official rules will disclose that once a submission is made it becomes the property of the contest sponsor. Re-use would then be a violation of third party rights. Original also means that the content does not violate trademarks or any other intellectual property rights of a third party. When you review contest materials use an official judging organization who is trained to look for the details in a submission. An inexperienced person may miss can of Pepsi in the background of a photo. The once popular “mea culpa” defense is wearing thin with regulatory bodies and the brand police of major corporations.

It is not practical in all cases to police eligibility during the entry process but you can protect against awarding prizes to an individual who is deemed ineligible in the prize fulfillment phase. A contest administration suite of services should include a method of enforcing eligibility.

Potential winners should be asked to validate themselves as an author and the contest entry as original. Some methods to ensure eligibility include proof of identity well as release forms for compliance to your contest rules. This is also the point at which you will want to get publicity releases before the entry is posted online for voting if desired.

There are additional protections that can be offered depending on the particular circumstance and your contest administration plan can be built accordingly. If you care to share with us, we will likely be able to help you increase your chances for a successful and compliant contest promotion.

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