So long blogging world, its been real

This blogging experience was interesting.  I have never blogged before this assignment and am not an avid reader of any blogs in particular.  So basically I was very unaware of the world of blogging.  However through this project I ended up checking out many blogs and have come to appreciate them more. 

While the, in my opinion, pointless blogs that just include the happenings of someone’s daily life still do not interest me there are some very helpful blogs that really can better people’s lives.  One in particular I found was called The Simple Dollar, which was founded to help people save money in all facets of life and learn how to get the most out of their dollar.  The founder of this blog started it out of the goodness of his heart and just to share the tactics he used while in financial trouble as well as new strategies he learns of daily.  If I was to start reading a blog on a daily basis it would be one like The Simple Dollar, where I can actually translate what is blogged to my daily life and benefit from it.  This is one main reason why the coupons, promotions, and contests topic interested me.  I felt that if I could search the Internet for contests of all types that would interest many different people then put them all in one spot such as this blog then everyone would benefit.  I would learn about cool new promotions across the market as would other consumers, while the products and companies gain even more coverage on their contest as well as potential loyal customers.  Another benefit to this topic was that I was learning about recent contests that were still in effect so if it was something I was especially interested in I could sign up for the contest and try to win free stuff.

This blogging topic still influences my life because for 2 times a week for 10 straight weeks I was researching promotions and contests, so now I’m wondering what kind of contests are going on while I am no longer searching multiple times a week.  I am curious whether or not a product or brand that I am interested in is having a contest that would be worthwhile for me to enter.  Also during the 1o weeks I was telling my friends about the contests I was researching which is even more free publicity for the contest and could have influenced people to go and join the promotions.  Also in terms of connecting to our class, this blog on coupons, contests, and promotions led to the idea of sponsoring events for the Godiva Liqueurs campaign and deciding to capitalize on this market by adding a coupon for the product to DVD box sets. 

Now on to the exciting world of coupons, contests, and promotions that I was devoted to since the start of 2008 which now seems so long ago.  There is a very interesting dynamic to the Internet world of promotions.  What I found was that brands can pretty much ask anything of their consumers in exchange for a years worth of chicken, an ugly ipod, or a Swiss army watch valued at $115.  Consumers are absolutely driven by free gifts and coupons.  My very first post way back in January basically blew my mind while I was posting.  Chick-fil-A offered the first 100 people in line a year’s worth of free chicken sandwiches, and in return over 100 people stood line for days in order to be part of that 100.  However the beauty of it is they made it a social event with bbq’s and even dancing.  All of this for free fast food chicken sandwiches that are probably worth about $1. 

Another trend I noticed is that consumers have created a contest culture.  For Chick-fil-A there is a loyal group of people that participate for the atmosphere and the free chicken, Tide’s ugly ipod contest started a blogging stream of hundreds of people, even an Idaho potato display contest draws in a crowd every year.  While people like me just seek out any random contest or promotion and might enter if the application doesn’t take too long, but these people are loyal to a brand and will do anything for discounts or free stuff.  The loyal followers, bloggers, and contest seekers keep the contests coming and also make brands get creative with their promotions.  Adding to the culture are blogs such as The Simple Dollar and the website Everyday Loopholes that encourage people to seek out and share deals or contests they hear about.  Because there is this culture however, brands need to get innovative with their promotions or they wont stand out amongst the clutter.

Standing out amongst the clutter is something that is very important in advertising and something we’ve been talking about in the medium pros and cons.  Clutter is a major downfall to most notably television and newspaper.  Also the Internet is full of clutter, and online contests need to be innovative and include an element that sets them apart in order to draw people in and want to enter the contest.  When I was searching for promotions twice a week it was sometimes really hard to find a contest that was at all different.  Luckily, brands are getting innovative in the terms of their contests or what they are asking consumers to do and I tried to only choose the ones that included something different or promoted an unknown product.  The promotions and products I found most innovative was the gas station television network and the vending machine coupons.  Vending machines to me always seem like they’ve been there forever and that the concept has never changed, however now they are being updated and really moving with other products into the 21^st century. 

Who would have ever expected a television station specifically created to target people pumping gas? This is an innovative concept that needs to be field tested to see if it catches on, but with such a new concept people are drawn in to learn more about it and become part of new innovations.  I’ve developed a theory through blogging, there are two types of contest people: those who enter for free stuff no matter what it is and those who actually put effort into producing something to submit for seemingly more valuable free stuff like in the GSTV promotion.  This also largely defines the promotions market because the more commercial products such as Tide or Dunkin Donuts create a no hassle contest that doesn’t require the consumer to produce anything.  Then the more alternative outlets such as Netelligent or Fuel the Change have the ability to create contests that require people to be creative and actually put effort into submitting something.  However there is a distinction because Dunkin Donuts or Chick-fil-A cannot really ask people to produce a video because all they can give in return is a free fast food coupon, while promotions such as the Woozyfly band contest can ask way more of the participants because their offering a cash prize of $1,000 and a great opportunity for an unsigned band.  This kind of just adds to the whole culture of contests because there is kind of a pecking order as to what brands can do. 

            Like I mentioned earlier, this kind of information can help in daily life and in future jobs.  My blogging experience is definitely being used to add weight to an advertising campaign and make it as effective as possible with the use of coupons.  Also when creating ad plans for other classes in true to life situations I am searching the Internet more effectively using Google News, checking out blogs on the topics, and searching for any promotions the brand has done in the past.  I think the habits I’ve picked up and the fact that coupons now have more of an established role in my life will help in my future employment.  I think this can help if I’m working in the budget aspect because I am now familiar with blogs that discuss money saving tactics, it can also help in the strategy department creating promotions for products and the theory I created could also lend itself nicely to real life situation.  Also just general knowledge of areas to seek out coupons for my daily well being and keeping them in mind so everyday I can save some money.  Well that’s all for me!  Coupons, contests, and promotions you really have influenced part of my life :)

WOOZYFLY Launches Contest for Bands

I have never heard of WOOZYFLY, but apparently they are a music media and social networking website who is putting on a pretty cool contest.  This press release, WOOZYFLY Launches Contest for Bands to Win a $150,000 Recording, Promotion, and Distribution Deal, was written just yesterday announcing the terms of this contest.  The contest will run from April 2 to May 15, 2008 and it is allowing unsigned bands and artists to go on the their website, woozyfly.com, and create a band profile complete with original music and any "tweaks" the band wants to make.  Then a panel of judges including CEOs of well known music companies, picks a winning band based on the quality of music, number of fans on the profile, creativity, and fan comments on the page.  The winning band will be crowned "woozy idol" and receive a number of cool prizes including $1,000 cash, 10 hours of studio time, and a professional video shoot.

This contest is innovative and interesting because there are not many contests or promotions out there catering to musicians trying to get signed.  There is American Idol but that is just for individual singers and many bands do not want to be associated with Hollywood.  I think this contest is very different from the other ones I've written about or even seen anywhere on the Internet.  This promotion helps spread Woozyfly's website and their position in the music industry while helping musicians.  I think that this is a really positive contest because a large percentage of the judging goes to the quality of the music, this shows that the contest is about the music and not about image.  However, since I'm not familiar with Woozyfly I don't know the type of music they promote or if they have a certain image.  This could definitely restrict the type of bands that enter the contest even though all types of music are accepted.  

This promotion is relevant to my life because my boyfriend and 4 of my high school friends are in a band and I think they are really talented.  Their name is Pop Party Opera you should check them out, they have a really great sound, each member plays multiple instruments, and they write all of their songs as a group.  A promotion like this, even if they didn't win, could spread their name and music around the Internet like crazy.  People around the country could hear their music and share it with their friends and they could get a broad fan base, which could then result in something more.  This is true for all bands that enter this contest, their influence will not just touch the judges, people who visit Woozyfly will check out the contestants as well as the other bands, so it could really open up some opportunities.  I like this contest because it is more than just promoting a brand or giving away free products, a group of people are really being offered the opportunity of a lifetime.  I'm going to mention this contest to my boyfriend's band and see if they would be interested in entering because I think that it could really only result in more people hearing their music and a potential contract.

Petco is Feelin' the love from recent Valentine's Day promotion

This article, Petco is feelin' the love from recent Valentine's day promotion, published March 20, 2008 shows us the benefit when a company puts on a successful promotion.  Petco had a Valentine's Day promotion that asked consumers to review and rate pet products from the store's website, in return a $500 gift certificate to Petco was awarded.  I don't know how they chose a winner, but the promotion resulted in a tenfold increase of online reviews of Petco's products.  

This was a very successful promotion for Petco as well as the lucky winner.  Pet care is a huge undertaking for a family and 500 extra dollars could relieve the family of some of that burden and maybe the family pet could get some special gifts they otherwise wouldn't.  Pets have also become like family members in many people's homes, and Petco is one of the leading pet product suppliers in the country.  Reviews and feedback is important for the pet industry because the toys need to be very safe due to the chewing and the type of wear and tear they face.  This promotion aids Petco in spreading its name and products as well as consumers with the cash prize and feedback from other pet lovers on the quality of products.

This promotion also produced a 300% increase in spending by the consumers who visited the special contest website opposed to the ones that didn't.  This is a huge number for Petco and gives them a good reason to continue the promotion in future years.  Petco also planned very well for this promotion.  They got a team together that constructed the new page of the website and added special features.  They added a new review system of hearts instead of paws for the Valentine's Day theme, they added a special thank you page to pop up once you completed a review, and the new web page was easily promoted in packing slips and in Sunday circulations.  All of these elements led to a very successful promotion for Petco.

The whole business of promotions is what is going on now and what companies are doing to stand out, however I've never read a follow-up article about how successful the promotion actually was and if it was even worth it.  This article shows that promotions can be hugely successful for the company while benefitting the public.  Practically every post to date I've wondered out load about how successful the promotion will be, and finally in my last week of posting I find an article that actually discusses that topic.  I think that every company that has a promotion should have to make a statement and reveal their successes or downfalls.  This way other companies can get feedback on what to stay away from, what works or doesn't.  The industry should pick up a "people helping people" process instead of wasting time and money on tactics that don't work.  

Fuel the Change Video Contest

Votigo, the leading online social media technology provider announced in early March that they will be hosting the Fuel the Change Video Contest.  This contest's goal is to educate people on alternative American energy sources.  PR Web, a very reliable and up to date resource published this article, Votigo Powers White-Label "Fuel the Change Video Contest" for Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, on March 11, 2008.  This article describes the contest and how Votigo is the a great place to host this contest given their reach and capabilities.  The video contest asks consumers to create 30 second videos in commercial format that highlights the advantages of using ethanol as an alternative energy source.  Votigo is a great host for a contest like this because of the social networking tools, people can virally share their commercials with friends and acquaintances.  This aspect allows the commercials and the contest to spread to many different people, but more importantly for people to learn more about the advantages of ethanol, which is becoming so important in our world.

EPIC, Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, is also very involved in this contest.  They have certain goals for this promotion as well as a standard of values that must be met.  So this contest is well thought out and involves multiple groups of people working for a similar cause.  Votigo and EPIC have formatted a working partnership which results in an interactive and innovative spin on just another video contest.  The commercials produced by consumers can be integrated into their existing websites and include links to areas that include information specific to the Fuel the Change contest.  Votigo connects businesses and organizations with consumers too so there is a mass outreach to people involved at every level.  

The organizations feel very confident about this year's Fuel the Change contest and believe the teaming up with Votigo could bring in some of the best results.  There is also a large grand prize of $10,000 to the winner of this contest who also gets the chance to have their commercial aired on ABC.  Applicants are accepted until April 21, 2008 and the winners are selected on May 7.  I think this contest will be very successful because alternative energy and energy conservation are such a big issue in the world right now and people are becoming more and more conscious of their actions.   I also think that the best way to get the message out and get more attention for your contest is to team up with a successful brand or website because they already have a large fan base who is loyal as well.  It seems like EPIC and Digital Dialogue, marketing agency, did a very good job of planning the contest out and made decisions that could make this contest really successful.  I'm interested in seeing how well the contest does and if Votigo will become the server they use every year.

Furniture lovers cheer another Sox contest

"Red Sox nation" is a huge fan base that follows the successes and hardships of the Boston Red Sox.  This enormous group of people is a perfect market to tap into for contests and promotions.  Jordan's furniture has done just this.  Last year they teamed up with an insurance company that agreed to pay for certain items of furniture if the Red Sox won the World Series.  Since they did win, Jordan's ended up giving away around $20 to $30 million worth of furniture.  

This promotion was extremely successful for Jordan's furniture and many people are anxious for the new baseball season to start as well as the new contest.  Starting tomorrow and running through late April, Jordan's is bringing back their contest and will reimburse people for their furniture.  The article, Furniture lovers cheer another Sox contest, doesn't go into all the details of the contest, like if every purchase counts or if there is more to entering.  This year's promotion is a little different however, Jordan's will only reimburse the purchases if the Red Sox not only win the World Series but also sweep the competition.  This limits the promotion a little bit, but I still think people will choose Jordan's furniture with the hope that they could get reimbursed.  

This is a creative idea for Jordan's furniture to team up with the successes of the Red Sox because there is a huge following around the country.  I am not completely sure about all the details of the promotion, like if all Jordan locations are participating, but the Massachusetts locations will definitely bring in a lot of business given the locality of the Boston based team.  The one downfall with this promotion that I think about is that how many people that bought furniture last year will need more furniture this year.  In order for this promotion to be successful people either need to buy more furniture or the people that did not participate last year need to this year.  I am interested to see how successful this promotion is given the rarity of furniture buying.

Shipley Do-Nuts E-Trivia Contest

This promotion is pretty selective given that only people from McLennan County, Texas can win but the promotion involves some elements that I have not seen in many other contests so I thought it was worth sharing. Shipley Do-Nuts advetised this contest on their website to announce the details and starting date which was March 3 and runs through June 1, 2008. I would say that main goal of this contest is to increase sales and recognition of Shipley Do-Nuts because their contest targets children age 5-12. This age group is not frequently the contestants for product contests and promotions, however for something like donuts they are definitely consumers.

This promotion is also a little different because the whole premise is that every week three new questions will be posted on the website, and the contestants need to search through the website to find the answers. Each contestant prints out an entry form for each week, fills out the answers, and drops off the form to a Shipley Do-Nut location in McLennan County. Each week every location in McLennan County pulls 3 winners from the acceptable applicants who can win food and gift prizes. For little kids this is a pretty exciting contest because they have 13 chances to win something. Every winner from the 13 weeks then gets added to the Grand prize drawing which is a cruise for a family of 4. The questions are also not very hard, for this week there is the question "what is the most popular donut we sell?" which is not common knowledge but would definitely be somewhere on the site. To enter to you only have to be a resident of McLennan county and have a parent or guardian over 18 who can claim the prize.

This contest offers kids an opportunity to be like their parents or older siblings and enter a contest. It is also relatively educational, the children need to read Shipley's history section and other aspects of the website in order to answer the questions correctly. I think this contest gives kids the opportunity to educate themselves and while they probably need help to print and get over to hand in the form, for many kids they can do it all by themselves. This also largely promotes Shipley's, in order to hand in the form the kids are going to be begging to go to Shipleys which could then translate into the future they will be begging to go get some donuts.

I think this is a clever contest and parents would support their children taking part in it. There is no reason that I could think of that parents would reject their children's entry so that shows good planning by Shipleys.

Man wins $1 Million in Santa Anita promotion

The world of promotions is not all about the ones coming up but also about who wins them.  A man by the name of John Placzankis was the big winner at a yearly Santa Anita horse racing track St. Patrick's day promotion.  The promotion gave 5 randomly selected applicants the chance to win $1 million by throwing a single horseshoe, a ringer would win that lucky person the prize money.  John Placzankis was the second of the 5 to throw his horseshoe, with no practice tosses, and achieved the coveted ringer while everyone else apparently didn't even come close.  I know what you're thinking he probably plays everyday at his home in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, but you would be wrong because according to John he hasn't thrown a horseshoe "in like 30 years" and he just relaxed and "tried to not to cross the line while throwing it like a softball."  

 

This ringer also scored Placzankis the number 4 slot on ESPN's top 10 plays of the day, and a write up entitled Man wins $1 million in Santa Anita promotion on the ESPN website by Jay Privman.  To get a write up on ESPN for tossing one horseshoe is pretty amazing, well besides the fact that that one horseshoe also won him one million dollars.  The money, Placzankis says, will go towards "paying some bills, and taking care of nieces, nephews, and his mom back home in New Rochelle NY," his hometown, he only moved out to California 8 years ago.

 

This promotion offered a lucky person a taxed $1 million dollars.  This promotion should alter the way contests and promotions are organized and the value of the prize.  However giving away such a large amount of money or a high priced item is not very common for promotions or contests.  Also this promotion has been going on for a couple of years now so it does not seem like it is affecting other contests.  However it might put pressure on some companies in the same area of business that feel they might have to keep up and offer good prizes to their consumers, which is a positive because we the consumers benefit!  Another thing about this promotion is that it brings in good business to the racetrack as well as giving someone an amazing life changing prize which is positive in both aspects.  John Placzankis is a lucky man, and it seems like he will use his prize money to help many people, he even announced "the drinks are on me" to the crowd after his prize winning toss.