The Power Behind Sweepstakes and Contests

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

Interview with Julie Link, Co-founder of Sync Marketing: The Power Behind Sweepstakes and Contests

Interviewer: Julie, Sync Marketing has established itself as a leader in the sweepstakes and contests space. Can you tell us a little about the agency and what sets Sync Marketing apart?

Julie Link: Absolutely! Sync Marketing is a full-service, award-winning sweepstakes and contest agency. While many of our competitors can create effective campaigns, what truly differentiates us is our dedication to one-on-one personalized service and meticulous attention to detail. We believe in creating campaigns that deliver proven results for our clients and agency partners. We don’t just want to be seen as an external vendor—we see ourselves as an extension of our clients’ teams.

Interviewer: That’s a great philosophy. Can you share more about how Sync Marketing works closely with clients to ensure their success?

Julie Link: One of the things we really pride ourselves on is our collaborative approach. From the moment a client comes to us with an idea for a sweepstakes or contest, we dive in and work hand-in-hand to craft a campaign that aligns with their goals. Whether it’s a major holiday promotion or a quick-turnaround sweepstakes, we tailor everything to meet the specific needs of our clients. Our goal is to make sure every campaign not only runs smoothly but also exceeds expectations.

Interviewer: Speaking of running campaigns, I understand Sync Marketing has deep experience with legal compliance, which is so critical in the sweepstakes industry. How do you navigate this complex landscape?

Julie Link: Legal compliance is one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of running a sweepstakes. The rules and regulations vary from state to state and even country to country, so it’s essential to have a team that understands these complexities. At Sync, we have decades of experience managing legal compliance for our campaigns. We handle everything from drafting the official rules to making sure the promotion complies with all applicable laws, including age restrictions, data privacy regulations, and prize fulfillment.

Interviewer: I noticed you have client across all categories; retail, auto, gaming, banking, and more. Today I want to focus on alcohol brands. Your clients include some big names, like Bud Light, Busch Light, and Wine.com. Can you share a bit about your work with them?

Julie Link: We’ve been fortunate to work with some incredible brands in the alcohol industry, including Bud Light, Busch Light, Archer Roose, La Tierra de Acre Mezcal, Wine.com, Sagamore Spirits, Becks, Corralejo, and more. Each campaign has been unique, but one thing they all have in common is the need for strict adherence to regulations. This is particularly important in the alcohol sector. Whether it’s ensuring age verification or complying with state-specific alcohol advertising laws, we’ve built a strong reputation for our expertise in this area.

Interviewer: That’s quite a portfolio! What advice would you give to an alcohol brand looking to run its first sweepstakes?

Julie Link: My biggest piece of advice would be to work with a team that understands the intricacies of alcohol sweepstakes. There are a lot of legal hurdles to navigate, but when done right, sweepstakes can be a powerful tool for brand engagement and loyalty. Partnering with a team like Sync Marketing ensures that all the details—both big and small—are handled, allowing the brand to focus on what they do best.

Interviewer: That’s excellent advice. Finally, what’s next for Sync Marketing? Any exciting projects on the horizon?

Julie Link: We’re always looking for new ways to innovate and help our clients succeed. We’re currently working on expanding our digital offerings, including integrating more interactive microsites and social media-driven sweepstakes. The future looks bright, and we’re excited to continue growing alongside our amazing clients.

What is the Difference Between a Sweepstakes and a Contest and Which One Should I Run?

By: Julie Link | In: Best Practices, Contests, Marketing, Sweepstakes, User Generated Content

What is the difference between a sweepstakes and a contest? This is one of the most common questions we’re asked when working with companies or agencies who are planning to run these types of promotions for the first time. Today I am going to break down the differences between sweepstakes and contests as well as discuss which one will work best for your next promotion.

First off, what is a sweepstakes? If you were to look up the actual definition you would find that the word has many different meanings, but the following is Sync Marketing’s definition: A sweepstakes is a game of chance in which consumers are asked to provide basic information about themselves to be entered into a prize drawing. Most importantly, potential winners are selected in a random drawing. After the names are drawn, they are notified and then verified before being announced an official winner. In a sweepstakes, there can be no consideration for entry and winner selection must be completely random.

Now, what is a contest? Sync Marketing’s definition is as follows: A contest is a game of skill, where entrants are asked to complete a measurable task that is judged and scored. For example, this could be anything from a video contest featuring consumers’ pets doing their best trick, an Instagram photo contest asking entrants to submit their favorite wedding planning moment, or a Pinterest contest requiring entrants to create a board of what they think would be their dream vacation.  In a contest, the judging criteria must be clearly defined for the entrants in the Official Rules. About.com also has a nice breakdown of the differences between a sweepstakes and a contests.

So how do you determine when you should run a sweepstakes vs. a contest?

Good question! You should run a sweepstakes when your goal is to reach and engage the masses with the purpose of promoting your product or service, gather email opt-ins, and collect basic consumer data. Of course, the number of entries you receive and the popularity of your promotion will be based on a few factors; how strongly it’s promoted, the ease of entry and the value of your prizes to the consumer. For more information on what types of prizes to give away see my post here. When you run a sweepstakes expect to receive a lot more entries than if you were to run a contest, and if you provide social share it has the possibility to spread like wildfire.

You should run a contest when your goal is to create PR buzz, gather user-generated content, and gain and reward consumers who are truly invested in your brand or service.  If you’re giving away an international trip to a grand opening of a new store, maybe consider running a contest in which entrants are asked to upload a video of why they deserve to be at the grand opening. To further reinforce consumer interaction, have the top 10 judged videos posted online for consumers to vote for their favorite. You can then ask for publicity releases from the top 10 entrants and use those videos on your website and social media accounts to continue to promote your brand. Also, by asking for entrants to take the time to create and submit a video as a condition of entry, you know you’re going to award the prize to someone who truly wants to go on the trip!

Regardless of whether you want to run a sweepstakes or contest, please consider calling Sync Marketing to help you plan and execute your next promotion. You can find a full list of our sweepstakes and contest services here.

Sync Marketing’s Year in Review – 2014

By: Julie Link | In: Best Practices, Contests, Facebook, Instagram, Marketing, Sweepstakes, Twitter, User Generated Content

2014 was a fantastic year for Sync Marketing that seemed to come and go in a blink of an eye. Not only was it a year of change for Sync Marketing, but a year of growth. Here’s Sync Marketing’s year in review:

A lot of “new” for Sync Marketing

Not only did we design a new logo, we also launched a brand new website which showcases our services, work, and introduces our co-founders, Jennifer French and myself, Julie Link. We were also fortunate to work on some really fun and exciting campaigns for a variety of new clients. Click here to “meet” some of our new clients.

Sync Marketing is now an award-winning agency

We were honored to take home the Silver in the Best Use of Game, Contests and Sweepstakes at the Chief Marketer 2014 PRO Awards. The competition was definitely tough. Jennifer French and myself attended the annual awards last June in New York City, and were able to meet the Senior Editor and Promotions Awards Director of Chief Marketer and other amazing colleagues in the field.

Sync got Social with Claire’s

Social media sweepstakes were huge this year and Sync Marketing ran everything from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest sweepstakes. As CBI’s agency of record, Sync Marketing helped Claire’s stores increase their social media presence in 2014. One of the most notable promotions we ran with them this year was in support of the launch of the Katy Perry’s Prism collection, which you can learn more about here.

We’re excited to see what 2015 has in store and we will continue to share our updates with you throughout the year!