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Alcohol beverage brands utilize text-to-win sweepstakes to help gain in-store presence
We have been getting more and more interest in running text-to-win sweepstakes this year. Here’s a new one that started running September 1 and will end this month. We’ve been working with Republic National Distributing Company who is the second largest alcohol beverage distributor in the U.S. They are assisting Pernod Ricard, the sponsor, who has several very popular spirit brands. Pernord Ricard is utilizing in-store POS for both their Absolut Vodka and Martell Cognac brands to get the message out about the sweepstakes.
People in the Maryland and Washington DC area are invited to text the word WIN1 (Absolut) or WIN2 (Martell) to the shortcode 65047 to be entered into the sweepstakes. One Grand Prize winner from the Win1 keyword drawing will receive two VIP tickets to a Washington Capitals’ NHL home game and a Zamboni ride and One Grand Prize winner from the Win2 keyword drawing will receive two VIP tickets to a Washington Wizards’ NBA home game and a pregame shoot experience. Both prizes total $899 in value.
Since this sweepstakes is for alcohol beverage brands we needed to make sure that entrants were 21 years of age or older. So when they text in each entrants receives a message back with a link to a very brief mobile form in which they have to enter their date of birth. Once completed they receive another message confirming their entry with a link to the official rules. Pernod Ricard is collecting mobile phone numbers and all entrants are automatically subscribed to a text messaging list in which they can receive future text messages from the sponsor. An opt-out option always needs to be included. Other marketers that we have been working with use the form to collect additional data on the entrants such as their name and email address. It depends on the marketer’s objectives and how easy they want to make it for the entrants.
The main objective of these text-to-win sweepstakes is for the brands to receive extra awareness at retail locations. Many alcohol beverage brands are now utilizing text to win and other types of sweepstakes promotions in order to gain the extra display and point of sale that promote the sweepstakes. Here is another text-to-win sweepstakes that we are running for Infinium Spirits for their Tequila Corralejo brand. This is the third and final text-to-win sweepstakes that we’ve been assisting them with this year. The other two which I wrote about were for their Seagrams Vodka brand and for their Templeton Rye Whisky brand.
The Ultimate Fiesta Sweepstakes is open to all of the U.S. and invites people to text Tequila to 65047 for a chance to win one of four $250 gift cards that they can use to host the ultimate fiesta. Point of sale materials such as case cards and neck ringers have been created to get the word out in stores. This sweepstakes also started on September 1 and runs till the end of October. With all three of their sweepstakes they have been utilizing the mobile form to collect additional data on the entrants which include their name, email and date of birth.
We’ve been partnering with the Sweeppea mobile platform on most all of our text to win sweepstakes this year. Based on some initial 2018 planning that some of our clients have shared with us I believe that we’ll be doing many more of these text-to-win sweepstakes next year.