Why a Holiday Sweepstakes is the Best Marketing Tactic This Season 

By: Sync Marketing | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, sweepstakes management, sweepstakes marketing

Q&A with Jennifer French, Owner of Sync Marketing: Why a Holiday Sweepstakes is the Best Marketing Tactic This Season 

Q: Why are holiday sweepstakes one of the most effective marketing strategies during the holiday season?
Jennifer French:
The holidays are a time when consumers are actively looking for deals, experiences, and ways to engage with brands that reflect the festive spirit. A holiday sweepstakes provides the perfect opportunity for brands to tap into this excitement. By offering something fun and valuable, like a chance to win holiday-themed prizes, brands can capture attention, boost engagement, and drive traffic to their sites. The heightened consumer activity around the holidays means people are more willing to participate, which makes this strategy highly effective for increasing visibility and conversions. 

Q: Can you share some examples of holiday sweepstakes campaigns that Sync Marketing has executed and their outcomes?
Jennifer French:
One of our standout holiday campaigns was a Christmas-themed sweepstakes for a well-known beverage brand. The promotion was a “12 Days of Christmas” contest where customers could win a new prize every day. This not only kept participants coming back but also helped the brand see a 30% increase in email subscriptions and a notable rise in social media engagement. Another successful campaign we ran for a retail client during the holidays saw a 40% increase in sales over the promotional period. These are just a few examples of how Sync Marketing can make a holiday sweepstakes work for any brand. 

Q: What are your top three tips for running a successful holiday sweepstakes or contest?
Jennifer French:
First, make sure your prizes are aligned with your audience’s interests and the holiday season. A festive, relevant prize will drive participation and excitement. Second, keep the entry process simple. Consumers are busy during the holidays, so make it easy for them to enter and share. Lastly, always ensure compliance. Sweepstakes laws can be tricky, and following the rules is critical to avoid penalties or negative publicity. At Sync Marketing, we handle the compliance for you, ensuring a smooth and successful promotion. 

Q: What trends do you see shaping holiday sweepstakes for 2024 and beyond?
Jennifer French:
We’re seeing a shift towards more digital and interactive experiences, such as holiday-themed microsites or gamified sweepstakes. Consumers love engaging in fun, online experiences, especially during the holiday season when they’re in a more festive mood. Additionally, we expect to see more social sharing incentives, where participants can earn extra entries by sharing the sweepstakes on their networks. This helps brands expand their reach organically. Finally, personalization will play a bigger role—offering personalized holiday sweepstakes experiences tailored to the participant’s preferences or previous shopping behavior will be a big trend moving forward. 

Q: What are the biggest compliance challenges when running holiday sweepstakes, and how does Sync Marketing help brands navigate these issues?
Jennifer French:
Compliance is one of the most critical aspects of running a sweepstakes, especially during the busy holiday season. Every country, and in some cases every state or province, has its own laws regarding sweepstakes. Navigating these rules can be daunting for brands. For instance, in the U.S., different states have different registration and bonding requirements, while in Canada, Quebec has historically had unique requirements. At Sync Marketing, we manage all aspects of compliance—from drafting official rules to ensuring the sweepstakes are properly registered—so brands don’t have to worry about legal pitfalls. 

Q: What are some creative prize ideas for holiday contests that drive participation and engagement?
Jennifer French:
Holiday contests should offer prizes that are not only exciting but also timely and relevant. Popular prize ideas include holiday-themed gift baskets, trips to festive destinations, or exclusive experiences such as holiday events or concerts. For retail clients, we often suggest including gift cards or limited-edition holiday merchandise as prizes. Another idea is creating a “12 Days of Giveaways” or “Countdown to Christmas” contest where participants can win a different prize each day. This keeps people engaged and coming back, which increases brand touchpoints during the holiday season. 

Q: How can brands integrate sweepstakes with holiday-themed microsites or digital experiences to boost engagement?
Jennifer French:
A holiday-themed microsite is a powerful way to immerse participants in your sweepstakes. By designing a festive, engaging microsite, you can offer participants a cohesive experience that encourages them to explore more about your brand. These microsites can feature interactive elements, like spin-to-win games, holiday trivia, or virtual advent calendars, all which tie into the holiday spirit. Sync Marketing specializes in creating these types of digital experiences, allowing brands to engage participants on a deeper level and drive more entries. 

Q: What are the advantages of hiring a sweepstakes agency, like Sync Marketing, for holiday campaigns compared to handling them in-house?
Jennifer French:
Running a holiday sweepstakes can be complex and time-consuming, especially with the added pressure of the busy season. A specialized sweepstakes agency like Sync Marketing not only brings years of experience to the table but also ensures every aspect of your promotion runs smoothly. From crafting creative and compliant campaigns to managing prize fulfillment, we handle everything. Plus, we have the tools and knowledge to optimize your sweepstakes for maximum engagement, giving your brand a higher chance of success compared to an in-house effort. 

Q: Why is now the best time to start planning a holiday sweepstakes?
Jennifer French:
The holiday season is fast approaching, and the earlier you start, the better. Planning in advance allows you to fine-tune the campaign, ensure compliance, and promote it effectively to maximize participation. Brands that start early also can build anticipation among their audience. At Sync Marketing, we’ve found that the most successful holiday campaigns are those that are launched with plenty of lead time, allowing for robust promotion and engagement. Now is the perfect time to get started! 

 

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Top-Rated Sweepstakes Companies

By: Sync Marketing | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, contest company, Marketing, social sweepstakes, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, sweepstakes management, sweepstakes marketing

Unveiling the Top-Rated Sweepstakes Companies: Sync Marketing Leads the Pack

In the digital age, sweepstakes have become an integral part of marketing strategies for businesses aiming to engage their audiences and drive brand awareness. With a plethora of sweepstakes companies available, it can be daunting to identify the best ones to partner with. However, amidst this sea of options, Sync Marketing stands out as a true trailblazer, earning its place among the top-rated sweepstakes companies.

Established over 13 years ago, Sync Marketing has solidified its reputation as a leader in the industry. What sets Sync Marketing apart is not only its exceptional track record but also its unique status as a 100% woman-owned business. Founded by Jennifer French and Julie Schmandt Link, Sync Marketing has been breaking barriers and setting standards since its inception.

One of the key factors contributing to Sync Marketing‘s success is its unwavering commitment to delivering excellence in every aspect of its services. Whether it’s crafting innovative sweepstakes concepts, implementing seamless entry mechanisms, or providing unparalleled customer support, Sync Marketing consistently exceeds expectations.

Sync Marketing’s impressive clientele speaks volumes about its credibility and effectiveness. Counted among its esteemed clients are industry giants like Amazon, Vitacost, DSW, Dolby, Archer Roose, and Toys R Us. These partnerships not only showcase Sync Marketing’s ability to cater to diverse industries but also highlight its capacity to deliver results for renowned brands.

Jennifer French and Julie Schmandt Link, the visionary minds behind Sync Marketing, have infused the company with their passion, expertise, and dedication. Their leadership has been instrumental in driving Sync Marketing’s growth and cementing its position as a trusted partner for businesses seeking to elevate their marketing efforts through sweepstakes.

Sync Marketing’s success is further underscored by the accolades and recognition it has garnered over the years. With numerous awards and accolades to its name, including being listed among the top-rated sweepstakes companies by industry experts, Sync Marketing continues to raise the bar and set new benchmarks for excellence.

In addition to its exceptional services, Sync Marketing’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity deserves applause. As a woman-owned business, Sync Marketing champions gender equality and empowerment, serving as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and industry professionals alike.

In conclusion, Sync Marketing’s stellar reputation, extensive experience, and unwavering commitment to excellence make it a standout choice among the top-rated sweepstakes companies. With Jennifer French and Julie Schmandt Link at the helm, Sync Marketing is poised to continue its journey of innovation, growth, and success, shaping the future of sweepstakes marketing one campaign at a time. Whether you’re a multinational corporation or a budding startup, partnering with Sync Marketing promises to unlock a world of possibilities and propel your brand to new heights.

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Top 10 Types of Sweepstakes to Run in 2023

By: Sync Marketing | In: Ask Sync, Best Practices, Contests, Instant Win, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, SMS Campaigns, social sweepstakes, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, sweepstakes marketing, User Generated Content

Sweepstakes have long been a popular marketing tool for businesses as they produces a tremendous return on investment (ROI). In 2023, there are many different types of sweepstakes that brands (and their agency partners) can run to engage with customers, build brand awareness, and generate leads. Here is list of the top 10 types of sweepstakes to run in 2023: 

1. Social Media Contests:  

With billions of people using social media every day, running a sweepstakes on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Twitter is a great way to reach a large audience and interact with consumers. Brands can ask customers to like, comment, and share their posts to enter the sweepstakes, and can even require entrants to follow their social media accounts to participate.  

This can have two positive impacts: 

Increased Brand Awareness: The ripple effect is real. The more people know about you, the more their friends and followers will know about you. 

Increased Engagement: Social media sweepstakes can also help businesses increase engagement with their existing followers. By offering a chance to win prizes, it can increase engagement and help to build a stronger relationship with customers. Additionally, the excitement and anticipation of the sweepstakes can encourage customers to visit a business’s social media channels more often, which can lead to increased engagement overall. 

2. Referral Sweepstakes:  

Referral sweepstakes incentivize customers to refer their friends to your business. Entrants can earn additional entries for each friend they refer who also enters the sweepstakes, which can help brands build their email lists and reach new customers. Referral sweepstakes can create a greater likelihood that those referrals will turn into new customers because they are being referred by a friend. That’s an instant vouch of support for the brand.  

These types of sweepstakes can be achieved in different ways. You can have a simple enter to win sweepstakes where entrants can refer up to five friends after entry for extra chances to win or they can refer friends by tagging on a social media sweepstakes.  Our client Wealthfront just finished a campaign where they gave away $25,000 to three different Wealthfront members. Entrant received extra entries for doing a number of different tasks including referring friends!

3. Instant Win Sweepstakes:  

Instant win sweepstakes allow customers to enter and find out immediately if they have won a prize. This type of sweepstakes can be especially engaging for customers, as they don’t have to wait for a drawing to find out if they’ve won. It also allows them to feel like they have a great chance to win. Sync recommends offering daily entries for instant win campaigns as it will keep customers coming back and engaging with your brand. 

4. Survey Sweepstakes:  

Surveys are a great way for businesses to gather feedback from customers, and adding a sweepstakes component can help incentivize customers to participate. Businesses can offer prizes to random survey participants, or even offer a larger prize to the customer who provides the most helpful feedback. 

5. Photo or Video Contests:  

Photo and video contests can be a fun way for customers to engage with a brand and show off their creativity. Businesses can ask customers to submit photos or videos related to a specific theme, and then award prizes to the best entries. Sync can help guide you on what type of judging criteria to include in the official rules. We also offer a judging platform for to score entries. 

6. Daily Sweepstakes:  

Daily sweepstakes allow businesses to keep customers engaged over an extended period of time. It’s best to offer a different prize every day to keep entrants coming back. Then offer a lager overarching grand prize to anyone who entered through the sweepstakes entry period. 

7. Essay or Writing Contests:  

If you want to engage with customers who are passionate about something, offering an essay or writing contests can be a great option. Brands can ask customers to write about a specific topic, and then award prizes to the entries that best matched the judging criteria. 

8. Treasure Hunt Sweepstakes:  

These are fun! Treasure hunt sweepstakes can be a fun way to engage with customers and build brand awareness. Businesses can hide clues or information about their brand or products throughout their website or social media channels, and then award a prize to the customer who finds all of the clues. If it’s within the budget you can include it on your website, but if you want to do smaller scare, we recommend running these types of campaigns on your social channels.  

9. Instant Discount Sweepstakes:  

Instant discount sweepstakes offer customers a chance to win an immediate discount on their next purchase. We typically recommend the discount to appear after entry and still offering a larger overarching grand prize. This type of sweepstakes can help drive sales for businesses while also providing customers with a fun and engaging experience. 

10. Charity Sweepstakes or Contests:  

Charity campaigns allow businesses to give back to their communities while also engaging with customers.  

Sweepstakes: Businesses can donate a certain amount to a charity based on the number of entries they receive. Allowing entrants to vote on the charity they want to donate to, is another great option. 

Contests: Going back to the essay contests, brands can ask people to nominate deserving people for the chance to win. The person nominated would then money for themselves and the cause they donate their time to. Sync recommends background checks for this and can provide this service for you.  

In conclusion, there are many different types of sweepstakes that businesses can run in 2023 to engage with customers and build brand awareness. Whether you choose to run a social media contest, a referral sweepstakes, an instant win sweepstakes, or any of the other options on this list, a well-executed sweepstakes can be a powerful tool for driving sales and building customer loyalty. 

top 10 types of sweepstakes to run in 2023

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3 Reasons to Run a Sweepstakes at Your Next Trade Show

By: Sync Marketing | In: Ask Sync, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Sweepstakes, Turnkey Sweepstakes

Offering big displays, entertainment and food sampling are all effective ways a company can draw people to their booth during a trade show. Today I will discuss an updated version of the typical booth raffle – an online sweepstakes. Below I will break down the three top reasons to run a sweepstakes at your next trade show.  

Catch people’s attention

If you’re giving away a trip, cash or free products/services, you’re sure to turn heads and pique attendees’ interest. When Sync runs trade show giveaways, we provide the client with a QR code to put on all their POP and marketing materials that when scanned links directly to an online entry form. This makes it a seamless user experience. Users will stop, scan and go directly to the sweepstakes site and enter for their chance to win – big! And best of all, we can select winners same day and they don’t need to hang around all day for their number to be called. Go Delta highlighted the benefits in their article by saying, “A study by Exhibit Surveys Inc. found that companies that displayed promotional giveaways at their booth had significantly higher traffic than companies that did not utilize giveaways.”

Boost email opt-ins

For each entry you receive, you can also receive an email opt-in. This allows you to reach back out to all of those who attended your show. You can even send them a surprise and delight offer to everyone who entered as a thank you.

Drive sales

After entry you can provide CTA on the thank you for entering page back to your site. You could even offer discounts after entry to help boost sales. Want to take it a step further? Ask those who entered to sign up for SMS notifications for an additional chance to win!

Sweepstakes are a fast and effective way to obtain the best ROI for your next trade show. Sync provides an all-inclusive package consisting of design, programming, legal and prize fulfillment for your next sweepstakes. We even offer discounts to clients who run multiple trade shows a year. Now that’s a win for everyone! Contact us today for pricing and campaign examples.

3 Reasons to Run a Sweepstakes at Your Next Trade Show

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Including Sweepstakes in Your 2021 Marketing Budget

By: Julie Link | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, User Generated Content

So, 2020 just happened…Let’s try to quickly put it behind us and begin planning for all the positives 2021 will hopefully bring. With more certainty of a better year ahead, marketers can now put more of their focus on finalizing a marketing plan and budget for the new year. Today I will discuss three reasons why including sweepstakes in your 2021 marketing budget is a good idea. 

1. Effective ROI

With a turbulent 2020 in the rear-view mirror, you should look forward to what will give you the best return on your investment in 2021. Low cost, high reward campaigns are a great starting point. Sweepstakes are known for being an affordable yet effective marketing strategy. Sweepstakes and contests allow you to engage with your consumers, obtain new email subscribers, and leave them both feeling appreciated. 

“… marketers might prioritize ROI over other metrics and avoid high-risk options. Flexibility is key, and it’s time to reevaluate your marketing budget so that it actually meets your company’s needs.” – Hope Horner from Business2Business

2. Social Reach

Running a social media sweepstakes or contest can greatly increase your follower base, create buzz and produce usable UGC. And in a year people are using social media platforms to connect now more than ever, it’s a simple and effective way to build your base and connect with those already in your base. In the article, 23 Mindblowing Statistic on Giveaways and Contests in 2020, Outgrow mentioned that 34% of new consumers are acquired through social contests and brands gain an average of 17,500 new followers through organizing these campaigns on their page. 

For 2021, I would recommend running social media campaigns where you ask your consumers to tell their story. People want to share and want to connect, so give them a platform to do so. If you’re still in need of ideas for what type of social media sweepstakes to run, check out this Sync article where we discuss the top 5 social media sweepstakes ideas to engage consumers.

3. Consumer Loyalty

There’s never been a better time to reward your loyal and dedicated consumers than after a year where a majority of people’s budgets were stretched thin. If they have stuck with you, now’s the time to give back. When running a sweepstakes or contest, we always recommend giving away many smaller prizes and a larger overarching grand prize. The large prize will attract consumers and the smaller prizes will give back to more people. In addition, for 2021 we highly recommend surprise and delight offers to every consumer who participates. This is the time to give back and thank your consumers for hanging in there with you. Here, Clickz discusses why customer marketing is important for 2021. 

While we could list many more reasons as to why including sweepstakes in your 2021 marketing budget is a good idea, we feel that after a crazy year, simple is better. Connection is key…so connect, listen, and give back to your consumers.

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Common Mistakes When Running a Sweepstakes

By: Jennifer French | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Marketing

Running a sweepstakes is an effective way for a business to obtain new customers. It’s also a great tool for staying connected to current customers and rewarding them for their loyalty. It’s a very cost-effective marketing tool when done correctly. When contemplating running a sweepstakes, there are important things to consider. Below I will discuss some common mistakes when running a sweepstakes.

No Official Rules

This is probably one of the most important mistakes to avoid. We find that many company’s in-house legal teams do not necessarily specialize in marketing law, so a lot of times, this critical element is neglected. There are a lot of intricacies, especially when it comes to running a sweepstakes on social media platforms, which change their policies frequently. There are also state regulations to also be aware of that may affect your promotion. They are also crucial for entrants as they outline the details of the promotion such as in eligibility, run dates, prizing, etc. Here is an article on the importance of drafting sweepstakes rules. 

Weak Prizing

Nothing kills the excitement of a sweepstakes than an insignificant prize. Would you take the time to enter for a branded water bottle or beach ball? Well most likely, neither will other consumers. If you are going to ask people to do something, give them something worthwhile in return. Consider a cash prize or shopping spree if you are in the retail sector. Also, awarding multiple prizes gives people the sense that the have a better chance to win.

Over Complicated 

You may be promoting an exciting brand or product, are offering amazing prizes and have your legal buttoned up but you are asking entrants to do too many things. The more you ask from the entrant, the higher the risk of drop off. This is especially true in the age of online scams and hacking. People are just not comfortable providing their personal identifying information (PII). Consider just asking for name and email address. This is also true about the entry process. We’ve seen promotions asking people to upload photos, answer essay questions, create a video, etc. Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, sometimes less is more.

Choosing the Wrong Platform 

If your goal is to obtain email opt-ins, a simple online entry is the best way to go. You wouldn’t want to run a social promotion in the instance because emails are not typically collected. The opposite runs true if you are looking to get your message to go viral. A social sweepstakes would be a good choice in that case. Again, it’s important to keep in mind the different policies on each social platform. Here is a good reference. 

Poor Timing

It’s always a good idea before running a sweepstakes to check the calendar for critical dates that may conflict with your promotion.  Knowing that a lot of people with children travel during spring break, you may want to wait until afterwards to run a promotion aimed at that sector. The length of campaign is also important.  Too short and you run the risk of people missing the promotion. Too long and the momentum may be lost. Typically, a two-four-week campaign is ideal.

Poor Marketing

If you build it, they will come does not always apply in marketing. You can have the coolest sweepstakes concept, but if people don’t know about it, your entry numbers will be low. This article gives helpful suggestions for promotion your sweepstakes. 

No Follow Up

So, your campaign was successful, and you obtained a good number of email opt-ins. If you don’t follow up with these potential clients, it’s definitely a missed opportunity. Consider sending a thank you email after they enter. You can even include a “Surprise and Delight offer like a discount coupon or free sample.

When done correctly, there are many great benefits to running a sweepstakes. Consider hiring an agency like Sync Marketing, who can guide you through the process and help you prevent making common mistakes when running a sweepstakes. Contact us today. 

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Why Run a Back-to-School Sweepstakes?

By: Julie Link | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Contests, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Prize Fulfillment, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, Turnkey Sweepstakes

We’re now officially into summer, and while most people bask in that fact, marketers are already looking ahead and making plans for the back-to-school season. This is a prime time of year to focus on consumer loyalty and brand awareness. This is especially true for retailers that carry merchandise geared for children and young adults. Back-to-school sweepstakes are an effective marketing tool to accomplish these goals. Today I will go into a few reasons why.

1. Deals, deals, deals.

This is a great opportunity to provide incentives to consumers to shop your brand. Back-to-school sweepstakes allow you to incorporate coupons and surprise-and-delight offers to consumers. This can be accomplished by offering these deals after they have entered for a chance to win. For example, once they receive the “thanks for entering,” message, offer them 20% off their next purchase. Not only is this optimal for reengagement but its also an invaluable way for you to obtain insights on your consumer. If you find that a high percentage of consumers redeem the coupon from the sweepstakes, then you will know that sweepstakes are resonating with consumers.

2. Consumer Loyalty

It’s a two way street. While you’re looking for consumer loyalty, so is your consumer. By running a back-to-school sweepstakes, you will in turn receive loyalty because you’re offering you consumer something in return. Once you receive their email address, the hope is that these consumers will keep coming back. If you are offering them incentives, like sweepstakes or surprise and delight offers, it’s even a better reason to return to your site. So, after you run that back-to-school sweepstakes, make sure to follow up with a pre black Friday sweepstakes and keep the momentum going! Check out some of our work samples for more inspiration on back-to-school sweepstakes.

3. Showcase your back-to-school merchandise

What better way to showcase your new back-to-school product than with a back-to-school sweepstakes. Through banner ad campaigns, social media posts and in-store POP, you will be able to promote your new products all while promoting the back-to-school sweepstakes.

When running a back-to-school sweepstakes, also keep in mind the prizing for your sweepstakes. Optimal prizing could be a daily awarding of your product or service with an overarching grand prize like cash or a trip. People love to start planning trips as soon as the reality that summer is over kicks in and cash offers consumers some hope of financial relief to offset some of the money they spend to send their kids back to school. To learn more about ideas for prizing and some of the best types to give away, click here.

As this year’s back-to-school season quickly approaches, consider running a sweepstakes. You will be sure to be top of your class with consumers.

Back-to-School Sweepstakes

 

 

 

 

 

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Questions about Running a Successful Contest

By: Sync Marketing | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Contests, Marketing, User Generated Content

So you’ve decided to add running a sweepstakes or contest to your marketing plans this year, but you are not really sure where to start or which one will work best for you to reach your goals. Below are a few questions about running a successful contest from fellow marketers.

What are the benefits of running a contest?

We are always upfront when someone comes to us who is considering running a contest. The truth is, in most cases, you will not receive as many entries as you would if you chose to run a sweepstakes. The reason being is that with a contest, you are typically asking people to complete an extra step beyond just filling out a simple entry form. When running a contest for example, you might ask people to upload a photo or video of themselves completing a particular outlined task, or to write an essay, or even name your new product. If you want to run a buzz-worthy campaign, make sure you are reaching your true customers and collect fun user-generated content, a contest is the way to go. A contest will provide you with much more QUALITY entries. Here is a helpful article touching on the differences between sweepstakes and contests.

Are there any legal parameters to consider when running a contest?

Yes, and they change frequently, especially on social media platforms. That is why we always recommend that you consult an expert like Sync Marketing, when putting together any contest or sweepstakes. One of the most crucial elements is to make sure that you clearly outline the contest criteria and judging parameters in the official rules.  Here is an article that was written to give advice for contest entrants that might help give you additional insight.

Does one contest theme attract more entries than another?

Theme is certainly one of the factors for consumers when deciding if they want to enter a contest. Although it isn’t the only thing that might pique their interest. You will almost guarantee that you will have a good amount of entries if the contest is offering a new or fun twist or has a “cool” factor, but we find that prizing is what really drives entries. If you offer a fun experiential prize, or something that the consumer can’t obtain on their own, they will take the extra steps to enter. Another great option is build a contest around a philanthropic cause that is close to your company’s heart. Here is a case study of a contest campaign that Walmart and some of its vendors partnered together to run to a contest to support the cause to fight world hunger.

If done right, contests are a fun way to create positive interaction with your consumers and possibly create some exciting buzz for your company online and beyond. If you have any additional questions about running a successful contest contact us today at 323-596-7962 or info@syncmarketing.net.

Sync Marketing – The Sweepstakes and Contest Experts

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Why hire an administrator to create your sweepstakes Official Rules and Winner Release Forms

By: Julie Link | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Legal and Prize Fulfillment

In this month’s Ask Sync Marketing, we answer the question, “Why should you hire an administrator to create your sweepstakes Official Rules and Winner Release Forms?”

Why can’t we just use our in-house counsel to draft our rules?

It’s not to say that they can’t, but if your in-house legal counsel does not specifically specialize in promotion law, chances are they are not up-to-date on all of the latest legal actions and changes in the field. Our advice is to keep them focused on what they do best and ask them to review the rules we create for you. Our legal team specializes in promotion law and are the top in the field. We will provide you with a comprehensive set of official rules that include the current promotion laws.

We want to run a promotion on Facebook and they offer Promotion Guidelines, isn’t this enough?

Reviewing Facebook’s latest promotion guidelines is helpful, but it’s definitely not enough to have full insight on all of the required language needed for a fully-compliant set of official rules. There are many eligibility, publicity, and state and local laws that should be considered when running a sweepstakes or contest. Hiring an agency like Sync to create the rules for you will allow you to rest assured that your official rules will meet these laws.

We found a similar promotion that ran last year, can’t we just use those rules for our sweepstakes?

Absolutely not. First, they’re not your rules to take and second you cannot be sure that these are up-to-date or were even legally compliant in the first place. Not to mention, it’s highly unlikely your promotion will be running identically to the rules you see online.

What if we don’t have time to vet out a new agency to handle our rules?

Even more reason to hire an outside agency! There is nothing more time consuming than dealing with legal ramifications when you don’t follow the law when running a promotion. There is so much that is required when running a sweepstakes or contest, which is why hiring an agency like Sync Marketing to take care of all of this for you, will take a ton off of your plate. Not only do we draft legally complaint official rules, we can also provide the following services when we handle legal:

• Legal counsel
• Abbreviated rules
• Legal disclaimers
• Winner affidavit of eligibility and release forms
• Travel companion forms
• Trademark search of campaign title
• Patent negotiations
• Partnership negotiations
• Client indemnification
• Letter of opinion
• Fraud mitigation of promotion offers
• Fraud mitigation of consumer entrants
• Bond and register campaign per state and federal guidelines
• Legal compliance review of all promotional materials and social media posts

Do I even need Official Rules?

We are often asked this by our current clients when they are wanting to run a sweepstakes with a shorter entry period or for sweepstakes or contests with a small prize. Our answer is always, yes. If there is a time frame to enter, you’ll be promoting the sweepstakes in any way, or you’re requiring your entrants to complete certain tasks to enter, then you need to have official rules. Keep in mind that Official Rules are your friend – they protect you and your consumers.

If you’re still on the fence about hiring an outside agency to handle your sweepstakes official rules and winner release forms, give us a call. We would be happy to ease any concerns and talk you through the process in more details. Contact us today. 

Official Rules and Winner Release Forms

 

 

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Questions Regarding Taxes on Sweepstakes Prizing

By: Sync Marketing | In: Ask Sync, Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Sweepstakes

February is the beginning of tax season so we thought it fitting to address some questions that we’ve received from winners and clients alike regarding paying taxes on sweepstakes prizing.

How will I know if I will have to pay taxes on a prize?

Any prizing that you win that totals over $600 in value will be reported to the IRS, and you will receive a 1099 for the tax year in which you accepted the prize. During the process of accepting a sweepstakes prize, you will be asked to fill out and sign a W9 form, so this will be your first indication that you will have to pay taxes on your prize. The amount of taxes that is paid is based on the individual, so it is recommended that you speak with a tax professional to determine what your taxes will be before you accept the prize.  Here is a good article about prizing and paying taxes: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/you-win-and-now-you-owe-taxes-2014-03-12

How do I determine the ARV on a prize for tax purposes when running a sweepstakes? 

We are often asked by our clients to determine the approximate retail value (ARV) of a prize for a sweepstakes. If the prize is an item that is sold by our client, that is the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, which we use to determine the ARV. If, however the prize is a service or trip, we do our due diligence to research the average price of the trip elements to ensure that the ARV is on target.  For more information, see our previous blog article about ARVs here.

What if I accept a prize such as a trip but end up canceling at the last minute? Do I still have to pay taxes on the prize?

Ultimately this is up to the sponsor of the sweepstakes. If the trip elements were already booked and paid for by the sponsor, they will submit a 1099 to the IRS for the advertised ARV.  However, if there are elements of the trip such as food or ground transportation at your destination that wasn’t pre-paid, you could dispute the ARV since those elements were never purchased by the sponsor. Here is an article about taxes on vacation prizes.  http://contests.about.com/od/vacationsweepstakes/f/Which-Taxes-Do-You-Pay-On-Vacation-Prizes.htm

If you are a client thinking of running a sweepstakes or if you have additional tax questions, please contact us at info@syncmarketing.net.   

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