September is here and the kids have finally gone back to school. Admittedly, they may well be sent home again shortly, but in the meantime I’m sure you’re ready to crack on with some prize promotions planning and activity.
Perhaps you’ve just spent what seemed like – and indeed was – months struggling with the Year 3 maths or maybe you’ve recently come back from furlough, but either way, for me this time of year always signals – hello Paperchase! – new notebooks, new pens and new beginnings, so I’ve got a few suggestions for how to kick off and indeed kick-start this ‘new normal’ era.
Don’t be overtaken by events
Yes, there’s definitely a crisp autumnal chill in the air and those key events in the prize promotions calendar – Halloween, Christmas and before you know it Valentine’s Day – will soon be creeping up on us. The key to any successful prize promotion is planning, so crack open that new notebook and get going. Starting by formulating what it is you want to achieve is a good idea.
Try something new
If you’ve run successful promotions in the past and have a clear idea of the specific mechanic that will work for your brand, I wouldn’t try to argue you out of using it again. However, I would also encourage to try something new.
The mechanics that sit behind on-pack promotions, for example, are becoming ever more sophisticated and on-pack promotions genuinely do drive sales. If you’re concerned your products may be affected by the government’s proposed ban on the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar or salt in prominent locations, ie at the ends of aisles, then this could be a smart way to go.
Cash out for prizes
I can’t deny that the pandemic hasn’t put the kybosh on certain types of prizes, with glamorous foreign holidays being the obvious casualty. However, there are still lots of alternatives to that coveted prize of a trip to Disneyland for a family of four, most notably cash.
At Prizeology we recently launched our new Cash Win service. Basically, whether they’re perceived or real security risks, winners can feel somewhat uncomfortable about handing over their bank account details in order to receive a cash prize (and clients can feel uncomfortable about holding those bank details too). Cash Win means winners can withdraw their winnings from a cash machine near them, using a secure PIN that we text to their mobile. It’s genius really.
And on the subject of dosh
It’s a misconception I often come across, but you don’t necessarily need a massive budget to run a prize promotion. Sure, you need to invest, but if you tap into the right experience and expertise (and, yes, I am talking about Prizeology here!), your promotion will be highly effective and you’ll receive a significant return on that investment.
Don’t do nothing
By which I mean, do something. I must confess I found the slightly less frenetic pace of life – or at least the different dynamic – of lockdown not unpleasant (although I sincerely hope I never to have to sit through another episode of Pokemon). However, I’m now feeling energised by the buzz of being really busy again. It’s a state I’d recommend, so whether you need to get sales moving again or stand out from the competition, I say seize the moment for a prize promotion.
If I’ve galvanised you and you’re all fired up to launch a prize promotion, Prizeology can help you make that happen and help with your prize promotions planning – just give us a call on 020 7856 0402 or drop us line on hello@prizeology.com. We’ll be standing by our (socially distanced) desks, ready to spring into action.
Sarah Burns is Prizeology’s Chief Prizeologist and a National Trading Standards Scams Team Scambassador.
