It’s not easy to scare a promotional marketer. We have run contests and sweepstakes all over the world on shoestring budgets and with impossible deadlines. We have assisted our clients in navigating through the freak show that is the world of promotional marketing. However, in the early planning stages with a new client there are a few key phrases that will always make our blood run cold:
- We want to run a sweepstakes next week. Can you do that?
Um. Sure. WE can – but can your company really get rules written and approved by legal in less than a week? Can you get your creative and web teams to produce a web site and print flyers and posters in a week? Is everyone willing to work nights and weekends? Are you willing to pay fines for all those extra hours and rush fees and for registering the promotion late in Florida and New York?
All of these things can be done, but you may not have the budget or time to make it happen that quickly. We can help take the fright out of the process by reviewing your needs and goals and finding a solution.
- We are letting a friend set up the web site.
If your friend is Bill Gates, then no problem! If your friend is a guy in his basement with one computer and a spotty wireless connection — yikes. Most corporate sweepstakes and contests sites must, at a minimum, meet basic privacy and security compliance standards, not to mention have a hosting configuration to provide a backup plan in case of outage. And did we mention making sure the site is responsive?
We have been building sweepstakes and contests web sites for over 17 years. Let us help you avoid a nightmare and build you a safe, secure web site.
- It’s OK. We bought an email list really cheap.
Great! But have you ever heard you get what you pay for? Many email lists available for purchase contain outdated information or may come from sketchy sources that have given them computer viruses in the past.
We have a CAN-SPAM compliant email process that can help you get the word out without getting you on a blacklist or in a spam folder.
- We don’t have any budget for ads. Can you just make it go viral?
First off, things just don’t go viral. Even the most well thought out “viral” campaigns can fall flat without at least some budget to see the campaign on social channels.
Let us work with your budget – even if it’s small – to help you navigate the social platforms and get the biggest exposure for your campaign.
- Do we really need creative? Can’t we just use this picture I found on the Internet?
If you don’t own the rights to use that picture, then no, we can’t just use it. Or any other pictures you “find” on the Internet.
Let us help you develop creative that fits your brand and your budget, without having a frightful experience paying fines for using someone else’s art.
We can help turn and of these scary scenarios into a day at the fun house! Contact us to get started.
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