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13 dec

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


12 mar

5 Ways to Avoid Legal Issues when Running a Sweepstakes

By: Jennifer French | In: Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Contests, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing

Running an online sweepstakes or contest is an effective tool to engage consumers and elevate your brand or company. There are many things to consider when including a sweepstakes such as budget, run dates, eligibility, and prizing. The most important and often overlooked items are the legal parameters of a campaign. If not addressed in advance, it could derail all your efforts. Below are 5 ways to avoid legal issues when running a sweepstakes.

Official Rules and Abbreviated Rules

Think of this as your sweepstakes’ user manual. The official rules should be a blueprint of your campaign and should clearly outline eligibility, campaign run dates, how and where to enter, prizing and the total ARV. It’s also important to include when and how a potential winner will be notified. Entrants should have a clear understanding of how the sweepstakes works and there should be no surprises. Abbreviated rules are a shortened version of the full rules that should give entrants a direct link to the full set of rules. Here is a helpful article of what should be included in the rules.

Bonding and Registration

Did you know that certain states require you to bond and register your promotion? Usually, it’s dependent on the total ARV of a campaign, but it varies by state. Neglecting to bond and register and not adhering to the timing deadlines for when you can submit your registration and bonding could amount to hefty penalties. Here are links to New York, Florida and Rhode Island that specifically addresses their requirements. 

Legal Review of Marketing Materials

You may have your official rules buttoned up, but did you know there are legal disclaimers that should appear on your marketing materials such as emails, POP and social media posts? Also, your marketing materials must not be misleading to entrants. A full-service sweepstakes agency can guide you on what is required to keep your promotion legally compliant.

Social Media Restrictions

Social media campaigns are fun and inexpensive, but they do come with legal requirements which are constantly changing. Each platform has their own guidelines that you must following in order to run a campaign. Guidelines change quite frequently so it is a good idea to consult with a legal professional who is up-to-date on all of the changes. If you can’t get outside help, it’s a good idea to go to each platform. Here are links to FacebookTwitter and Instagram’s policy pages. 

Privacy and Collecting PII

Consumer privacy is a very hot-button item. There are many rules and regulations about collecting and storing personal identifying information (PII). Consulting the laws for each participating state and country if international is essential before running a campaign. For example, here is a helpful article about the CCPA law that affects promotions running in California.

While many companies opt to use inexpensive sweepstakes software to build and manage their campaigns, they often overlook the legal elements. It may be less expensive, but in the long run, you may end up paying heavily in fines and even have your promotion shut down mid campaign. Now that you know the 5 ways to avoid legal issues when running a sweepstakes, consider using a full-service agency like Sync to manage your campaign.


10 mar

4 Reasons to Run a Contest Now

By: Julie Link | In: Ask Sync Marketing, Contests, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing, sweepstakes company, User Generated Content

The last 12 months have been unlike anything any of us have ever experienced. 2021 is the year for companies to give back to consumers more than ever before. One of the best ways to give back is through running contests. Today I will discuss 4 reasons to run a contest now. 

People want to feel connected

Now more than ever, people want to share their experiences as a way to connect. This is a great opportunity for brands to ask their customers to share their story for a chance to win something truly helpful to them. Crate and Barrel is currently asking engaged or recently married couples to share their story for a chance to win everything in their registry (up to $2,500). In addition, Crate and Barrel will make a $1,000 donation to Feeding America® on behalf of each couple.

Feel-Good Content

People are ready to start getting good news again! What better way than to run contests that help share good news and create positive change. Aerie is continuing their Changemakers initiative for a second year to celebrate consumers who are making a difference and reward them with the necessary funds to continue their work. 20 amazing applicants will win $20,000 towards their personal missions. This campaign spreads good vibes while celebrating the efforts of people making changes in their community.

Consumers are on their phones now more than ever

Since you already have a social team trying to drive awareness and followers, why not add a contest? It’s a win for you and a win for consumers.  A social contest is a great way to garner user-generated content and followers. With consumers on their phones now more than ever, having them upload content all while promoting your brand along the way is a no brainer. This also builds awareness for your brand, allows you to learn more about your consumer, and leaves them feeling seen and rewarded. As stated in outgrow.com, companies who run contests get an average of 17,500 new followers through a contest: 

Have some Fun

Did you see the Big Game this year? If so, you probably saw the commercial for Mountain Dew’s Major Melon Bottle Count contest. Viewers were asked to tweet out how many bottles of Mountain Dew appeared in the ad for a chance to win $1 million dollars. Within minutes, there were thousands of tweets. Not everyone has Pepsi’s budget, but you get the idea. Offering consumers a fun contest will get them excited, engaged and will leave them with a good taste in their mouth about your company or brand (pun intended). 

I hope these 4 reasons to run a contest now, were helpful. There are an assortments of ways to run a contest, and this year is the time. Let’s give back to our communities and let their voices be heard. Contact Sync today for help brainstorming your next campaign.


12 jul

Brand Loyalty Sweepstakes

By: Sync Marketing | In: Advertising, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Prize Fulfillment

Sweepstakes and brand loyalty marketing go hand in hand. It’s an easy and cost-effective way to reward your customers all while strengthening the relationship you have with them. Today we will discuss the best types of brand loyalty sweepstakes to run and why.

Start slowly

We always suggest to our clients to run at least a few straight forward enter-to-win sweepstakes before running a loyalty sweepstakes. First and foremost, it will allow you to collect new opt-ins to add to your email list. Also, you will see how sweepstakes resonate with your consumers before you launch a loyalty-based campaign.

It’s all in the email

A brand loyalty sweepstakes starts and ends with email communication. Consumers are interested in your brand and have already signed up to receive emails from you. Now, reward them with the chance to win a great prize. Be sure to put the sweepstakes CTA within the email you send out to your consumers.

Reward, reward, reward

When it comes to a brand loyalty sweepstakes, we think having all entrants win something is a great way to optimize the relationship you have with your customer. To achieve this, you can run an instant win sweepstakes. Here the customer either wins a prize or a discount coupon with a percentage or dollar amount off of your product. If you are a subscription-based service, another way to reward your consumer is to automatically enter them into a sweepstakes for signing up. Here is an example of a recent sweepstakes. Stitch Fix entered all entrants who scheduled a Fix for delivery in the month of June for a chance to win. However, keep in mind, if you require a purchase like this sweepstakes did, you must offer a free alternate means of entry.

Have fun and gather more info

Polls are fun for everyone! People love to give their opinion! And you love to get information on your product, right? Why not ask your loyal customers a question about which new fall look they like best for a chance to win? They are rewarded with a chance to win, and you gather insightful information about your product line for the fall.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to brand loyalty sweepstakes. Whether you’re reaching out to a newly acquired customer or one of your more loyal fans, reach out to Sync to help you strengthen your relationship with you customer by offering unique and engaging ideas.

Brand Loyalty Sweepstakes

 

 

 


13 dec

Sweepstakes Company

By: Sync Marketing | In: Advertising, Best Practices, Contests, Facebook, Instant Win, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing, Prize Fulfillment, SMS Campaigns, Sweepstakes, sweepstakes company, Text Message Sweepstakes, Turnkey Sweepstakes

Looking for a sweepstakes company that can handle all aspects of your next online sweepstakes campaign? Look no further than Sync Marketing. Sync Marketing is a Los Angeles-based sweepstakes company that specializes in online sweepstakes.

What we do

The Specifics

Regardless of what type of sweepstakes you want to run, we handle an array of details within every sweepstakes or contest.

Strategy and Management

In this phase of the project, we will go over your goals and ideas and come up with effective solutions for you to exceed your goals. Whether you want to gain email opt-ins or user generated contact, we have the experience and know-how to suggest the right type of sweepstakes for your next campaign.

Design and Programming

Our highly passionate and experienced team of programmers and designers are ready to create a stand out sweepstakes for you. We offer responsive design and mobile-optimized sites to make sure the user experience is seamless for your consumers.

Legal and Prize Fulfillment

This is quite possibly the most important piece to the puzzle. Making sure to hire an agency that specializes in sweepstakes law is integral to the success of your sweepstakes. Especially with social media sweepstakes, because these can be quickly taken down by a social media network if you are not abiding by their policy. Sync Marketing is a sweepstakes company that has got you covered in this area. Not only does our legal team specialize in promotion law, but we attend the latest law conferences and are quite frequently speakers at these events.

Analytics and Reporting

You need to know if your promotion is successful, right? Our programmers provide a 24/7 password protected website so you can access your metrics at any time. We will go over your goals prior to programming to make sure we’re tracking everything you need for your promotion.

Types of Sweepstakes

At Sync Marketing, we offer an array of sweepstakes. Our most popular is our TurnkeySweeps by Sync platform. These are turnkey sweepstakes that launch within a week of receiving approval on the creative. We also run SMS campaigns, instant win sweepstakes, and custom campaigns. If you’re looking for a sweepstakes company who solely focuses  on sweepstakes and contests, then we’re the agency for you. Contact us today for a quote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


17 oct

Sweepstakes and Contest Rules

By: Sync Marketing | In: Ask Sync Marketing, Best Practices, Contests, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing, Sweepstakes

Anyone who has enters sweepstakes or contest has usually noticed a long list of rules and regulations. Some may be put off by all this legal jargon. It’s not just there to protect the companies involved in the promotion, but it is also a helpful tool for the entrant. It outlines very important features of the promotion in one neat package. Different variables of the promotion can change what needs to be outlined in your rules. Today, I have provided a list of some of the items that should be included in your sweepstakes and contest rules:

Eligibility

This section is important in sweepstakes and contest rules, because it outlines who can enter. This should include the geographical location where the promotion is open, i.e. 50 US states. It should also include the minimum age of entrants. Lastly, it should call out the fact that your employees, family members, etc. cannot enter or win.

Timing

This section should outline the exact start date and time and end date and time. Obviously, this is important because it tells entrants their deadline for entering.

How to Enter

This section outlines where and how people enter. Maybe it’s an online sweepstakes. In that case, the URL to the sweepstakes or contest home page will need to be provided. Also, you will need to tell entrants what you are collecting from them, i.e. name, address, phone number, etc. Here is a link to a sweepstakes home page that shows the entry process.

If you are running a sweepstakes where the entry method is on social media, you will need to explain the process for entry. Here’s an example of a Twitter and Instagram sweepstakes.  In addition, this section should outline the total number of entries a person can earn during the sweepstakes entry period. Depending on the complexity of the sweepstakes or contests, this section needs to be drafted with acute attention to detail from a legal standpoint. That’s why it’s important to hire an administrator who specializes in sweepstakes law to identify any additional information that needs to be included.

Winner Determination

This section should clearly outline when the winners will be selected and notified. This helps legitimize the process for the administrator when contacting the potential winners. The entrant can refer to the rules and see that the dates match. It also lets entrants know if they will have to wait days or weeks after a promotion to find out if they are a winner. Patience isn’t always a virtue when it comes to winning a prize, so this will inform your entrants when you will be conducting the drawing so that they have an exact date in mind.

Prizes

This section outlines what prizes you are awarding and their approximate retail value (ARV). This is important because any time a prize has an ARV over $600, it will need to be reported to the IRS. Winners should have fair warning before accepting any prize where they are going to be issued a 1099.

The above is a basic list of things to think about when drafting sweepstakes or contest rules. Keep in mind, there are a lot of other items that need to be included. It is extremely important to work with an agency that knows everything that is legally required to run a promotion.

Sync Marketing’s legal team is constantly researching and staying up-to-date on all the latest legal actions and changes in the field. We also attend the most respected marketing law conferences each year. This translates into invaluable legal counsel and advice for you on all your promotions and will ensure your sweepstakes and contest rules are the most iron clad. Here is a link to some of the legal services we offer at Sync Marketing. Contact us today and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about sweepstakes and contest rules.

Sweepstakes and Contest Rules

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


29 jun

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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

 

 

 

 

 


28 dec

Affordable Sweepstakes Company

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

Looking to run an affordable sweepstakes while still receiving an exceptional product with the most up-to-date legal expertise? TurnkeySweeps™ by Sync is your affordable sweepstakes company solution.

There are a lot of low cost sweepstakes tools out there, but when looking for a sweepstakes agency, make sure that the company you are looking at is more than an app. Do they specialize in all aspects of sweepstakes and contests? At Sync Marketing we specialize in the ideation, design, programming, legal and prize fulfillment. We eat, sleep and breathe sweepstakes. If they don’t seem to have a rigorous review process and custom official rules, you could be risking running a non-compliant promotion. Sweepstakes guidelines change often, especially when it comes to social media promotions, so it’s imperative to work with a sweepstakes company that knows their stuff. You can learn more about the important of legal compliance in this article here.

We created TurnkeySweeps™ by Sync to offer an affordable sweepstakes solution for our clients who wanted sweepstakes to launch fast with a limited budget. With TurnkeySweeps™ by Sync, we can launch a campaign in under a week after receiving approved creative. Need more than a simple enter to win sweepstakes? We offer photo upload, social share and more as affordable add-ons.

In conclusion, if you would like to learn more about our inexpensive and affordable sweepstakes solutions and what add-on options we offer, contact us today.

Inexpensive and Affordable Sweepstakes Company

19 oct

Running a Promotion Directed Towards Children

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

We are continually being asked by companies if they can run a sweepstakes or contest that includes entrants under the age of 13, and the answer is yes. However, if your sweepstakes or contest includes collecting the personal information from children under the age of 13, you must comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/childrens-online-privacy-protection-rule. Understanding and interpreting the nuances of COPPA can be quite overwhelming. The FTC has put together a list of frequently asked questions on their website to help guide businesses through the Act. Below are a few of the most pertinent questions and answers to keep in mind when running a promotion directed towards children.

“Who is covered by COPPA?”

“The Rule applies to operators of commercial websites and online services (including mobile apps) directed to children under 13 that collect, use, or disclose personal information from children.  It also applies to operators of general audience websites or online services with actual knowledge that they are collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13.  The Rule also applies to websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information directly from users of another website or online service directed to children.”

The FTC requires that if you are going to be collecting personal information from children under 13 that you be sure to disclose what information you will be collecting and how it will be used. They also require that a verifiable parental consent be obtained.

“What is Personal Information?”

“The amended Rule defines personal information to include:

  • First and last name;
  • A home or other physical address including street name and name of a city or town;
  • Online contact information;
  • A screen or user name that functions as online contact information;
  • A telephone number;
  • A social security number;
  • A persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different websites or online services;
  • A photograph, video, or audio file, where such file contains a child’s image or voice;
  • Geolocation information sufficient to identify street name and name of a city or town; or
  • Information concerning the child or the parents of that child that the operator collects online from the child and combines with an identifier described above.”

“How do I get parental consent?

“You may use any number of methods to obtain verifiable parental consent, as long as the method you choose is reasonably calculated to ensure that the person providing consent is the child’s parent. The Rule sets forth several non-exhaustive options, and you can apply to the FTC for pre-approval of a new consent mechanism, as set out in FAQ H.14 below.

If you are going to disclose children’s personal information to third parties, or allow children to make it publicly available (e.g., through a social networking service, online forums, or personal profiles) then you must use a method that is reasonably calculated, in light of available technology, to ensure that the person providing consent is the child’s parent. Such methods include:

  • Providing a consent form to be signed by the parent and returned via U.S. mail, fax, or electronic scan (the “print-and-send” method);
  • Requiring the parent, in connection with a monetary transaction, to use a credit card, debit card, or other online payment system that provides notification of each discrete transaction to the primary account holder;
  • Having the parent call a toll-free telephone number staffed by trained personnel, or have the parent connect to trained personnel via video-conference; or
  • Verifying a parent’s identity by checking a form of government-issued identification against databases of such information, provided that you promptly delete the parent’s identification after completing the verification.

If you are going to use children’s personal information only for internal purposes – that is, you will not be disclosing the information to third parties or making it publicly available – then you can use any of the above methods or you can use the “email plus” method of parental consent. “Email plus” allows you to request (in the direct notice sent to the parent’s online contact address) that the parent indicate consent in a return message. To properly use the email plus method, you must take an additional confirming step after receiving the parent’s message (this is the “plus” factor). The confirming step may be:

  • Requesting in your initial message to the parent that the parent include a phone or fax number or mailing address in the reply message, so that you can follow up with a confirming phone call, fax or letter to the parent; or
  • After a reasonable time delay, sending another message via the parent’s online contact information to confirm consent. In this confirmatory message, you should include all the original information contained in the direct notice, inform the parent that he or she can revoke the consent, and inform the parent how to do so.”

In most instances, when running any sweepstakes, entrants’ personal information is not disclosed publicly, so the “Email plus” method is very effective and less time consuming for the child entrant and the sweepstakes administrator. Another way around this is to have the parents enter on behalf of their child and award the prize to the parent. This way you know you are getting parental consent without having to do the extra step.

“I want to have a contest on my child-directed website.  Can I use the Rule’s “one-time contact” exception to prior parental consent?”

“Yes, if you properly design your contest.  You may use the “one-time contact” exception if you collect children’s online contact information, and only this information, to enter them in the contest, and then only contact such children once when the contest ends to notify them if they have won or lost. At that point, you must delete the online contact information you have collected.

 If, however, you expect to contact the children more than one time, you must use the “multiple-contact” exception, for which you must also collect a parent’s online contact information and provide parents with direct notice of your information practices and an opportunity to opt out.  In either case, the Rule prohibits you from using the children’s online contact information for any other purpose, and requires you to ensure the security of the information, which is particularly important if the contest runs for any length of time. 

If you wish to collect any information from children online beyond online contact information in connection with contest entries – such as collecting a winner’s home address to mail a prize – you must first provide parents with direct notice and obtain verifiable parental consent, as you would for other types of personal information collection beyond online contact information.  If you do need to obtain a mailing address and wish to stay within the one-time exception, you may ask the child to provide his parent’s online contact information and use that identifier to notify the parent if the child wins the contest.  In your prize notification message to the parent, you may ask the parent to provide a home mailing address to ship the prize, or invite the parent to call a telephone number to provide the mailing information.”  

 And even with screening measures in place, you may run across the following issue:

“Am I responsible if children lie about their age during the registration process on my general audience website?”

“The Rule does not require operators of general audience sites to investigate the ages of visitors to their sites or services. See 1999 Statement of Basis and Purpose, 64 Fed. Reg. 59888, 59892. However, operators will be held to have acquired actual knowledge of having collected personal information from a child where, for example, they later learn of a child’s age or grade from a concerned parent who has learned that his child is participating on the site or service.”

 “What are the penalties for violating the Rule?”

“A court can hold operators who violate the Rule liable for civil penalties of up to $16,000 per violation.  The amount of civil penalties a court assesses may turn on a number of factors, including the egregiousness of the violations, whether the operator has previously violated the Rule, the number of children involved, the amount and type of personal information collected, how the information was used, whether it was shared with third parties, and the size of the company.  Information about the FTC’s COPPA enforcement actions, including the amounts of civil penalties obtained, can be found by clicking on the Case Highlights link in the FTC’s Business Center.” 

Reading through and understanding COPPA can be a daunting task for those not as familiar with the Act. With the possibilities of steep penalties for violating COPPA, it is advisable that you consult the experts to advise you if you choose to run a sweepstakes or contest aimed at children. Furthermore, Sync Marketing’s legal team are experts in the field and can guide you through your promotion to ensure compliance with COPPA. Here are some of the services we provide and don’t forget to contact Sync today for your next promotion.

Running a Promotion Directed Towards Children

 


25 aug

Prize Fulfillment Solutions for Your Next Sweepstakes

By: Jennifer French | In: Best Practices, Legal and Prize Fulfillment, Marketing, Prize Fulfillment

There are a lot of factors that go into running a successful online sweepstakes or contest. One of the most important ones is the prizing you award to the winners. A lot of companies who decide to run a campaign without the help of a sweepstakes agency often find that the prize fulfillment portion of the campaign can be very time consuming and costly if not done correctly. Below I will talk about prize fulfillment solutions for your next sweepstakes or contest.

Before I go further into the prize fulfillment solutions, I think it’s necessary to first touch on the importance of prizing. You may have great online creative and a healthy marketing budget, but if your prizes aren’t compelling, you run the risk of receiving low entries. Here are a few tips on the types of prizes to offer. But what really constitutes a compelling prize to consumers? A lot of times it simply comes down to the odds of winning. The more prizes you award, the better chance the entrant has of taking home a prize. This makes consumers feel like they have a better chance to win, resulting in increased entry numbers.

Okay, great, you’ve listened to your consumers and want to award a large number of prizes. Where do you start? What does that look like? This is where prize fulfillment solutions come into the picture.

Are you awarding physical prizes? If so, there are a few things you will need to take into consideration. You will need to securely warehouse, package and ship the prizes. A benefit of using a sweepstakes agency that handles prize fulfillment is that they will do all of the work for you. And, because they ship prizing on a regular basis, you will be guaranteed to have the lowest possible rates. Plus, packing and shipping hundreds of prizes can be a very time consuming job, which will in turn costs you money. Check out a list of prize fulfillment services offered by Sync Marketing.

Are you awarding digital prizes? This is definitely a more cost-effective way to award a prize. But, do you have the manpower to follow up with hundreds or even thousands of winners to make sure they’ve received their prizing via email? Leave it to the experts who have the proper programs in place to quickly and efficiently deliver your prizing and take this daunting task off of your plate.

Another thing to consider are the steps that need to take place before prize fulfillment; winner selection, notification and verification. This can also be a very time consuming process. And, if your prizes are valued at over $600, you will need to report this to the IRS and provide a 1099 for each winner. Hiring a sweepstakes agency to oversee this portion of your campaign will take the worry out of the project for you and ensure that it is being handled correctly.

Finally, no matter what the type or quantity of prizing you chose to award to your winners, consider contacting Sync Marketing to handle your prize fulfillment solutions. We will put together a cost-effective and time saving plan for your next campaign and do the “heavy lifting” so you don’t have to.

Prize Fulfillment Solutions for your next Sweepstakes