Donna DeClemente, Author at American Sweepstakes

Alcohol beverage brands winning with text-to-win sweepstakes

For the past several years we’ve worked with Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) who is the second largest alcohol beverage distributor in the U.S. We’ve been assisting them with a several text-to-win sweepstakes which are very popular with alcohol beverage brands since they receive extra awareness at retail and bar locations. These types of sweepstakes encourage retailers to display the brand’s point of sale communications in their stores.

We started out working with RNDC for Pernod Ricard, the sponsor, for their Absolut Vodka and their Martell Cognac brands. Last year RNDC was working with Edrington Americas and we assisted them with the Macallen DoubleCask Sweepstakes which offered Texans a chance to win a trip to Scotland.

Now this year we recently helped RNDC launch another two text-to-win sweepstakes. The first is a sweepstakes for Edrington Americas for their Highland Park Whiskey brand. People who are 21 years of age or older from Florida, Georgia and Texas are invited to participate. They can text the word “VIKING” to the shortcode 65047 where they receive a text message back that contains a link to open up an online entry form. They can also enter at www.highlandparktailgate.com. Once they complete and submit the form they are entered for a chance to win. In this case Highland Park is tying into the football tailgating season and offering eight lucky weekly winners a chance to receive a tailgate package that includes food and drinks for 10 people valued at $300.

A new sponsor that we’re working though RNDC is Santa Margherita USA for their Santa Margherita wines. People who are 21 years of age or older from Texas are invited to participate. They can text the word “UNCORK” to the shortcode 65047 where they receive a text message back that contains a link to open up an online entry form. People can also enter directly online at http://app2.sweeppea.com/UNCORK for a chance to win. Three weekly winners each week for a total of 21 weekly winners each receive a $100 Albertson’s Gift Card and one Grand Prize winner at the end of the Sweepstakes will receive a $400 Albertson’s Gift Card.

Both of these sweepstakes began on September 1 and will run till the end of October. We’ve been working with a mobile platform in the U.S. for the past couple of years called Sweeppea. They provide the shortcode and we set up the campaign in their platform. We have the option of creating the online mobile form from their platform as well. The form is a great way to collect more data on the entrant such as their first and last name, email address and age, which in the case of alchol beverage brands we need to know that they are 21 or older. So try and enter one today and see how easy it is.

The One Tank Trip Sweepstakes is part of a complete marketing package offered to these select Honda Dealers

We have been working with RealWorld Marketing, an advertising and marketing agency firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that focuses solely on Acura and Honda. They currently work with over 20 Honda and Acura associations throughout the U.S. and provide marketing and advertising services exclusively to these association with the goal to help increase Acura and Honda sales.

We are currently assisting them with two sweepstakes, one for the Rocky Mountain Honda Dealers (RMHD) and the other for the Western Washington Honda Dealers (WWHD). The RMHD association is comprised of 14 Colorado based dealers and the WWHD association includes 18 Washington based dealers. Both of these sweepstakes are named the One Tank Trip Sweepstakes because they include trip prizes to places within each state that are basically in driving distance with, you guessed it, one tank of gas. People are invited to visit the websites and fill out the online form to enter. The websites provide additional information about the prize packages and help to promote each of the trip destinations.

Both sweepstakes started on June 13 and will run until September 3. Each sweepstakes has first place winners who each receive a weekend getaway trip prize, along with weekly second place winners who receive various other prizes. You either need to be a resident of Colorado to be eligible for the RMHD sweepstakes or Washington for the WWHD sweepstakes.

For the RMHD sweepstakes some of the secondary prizes include tickets to the Colorado Rockies baseball games or tickets to see the Broadway musical “On Your Feet”, the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. which is at the Buell Theater in Denver, Colorado during August. Some of the trip prizes for this sweepstakes include a trip for two to The Lodge at Steamboat in Steamboat Springs, CO, or a two night stay in the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort in Nathrop, CO.

The WWHD sweepstakes had secondary prizes that include tickets to a Seattle Mariners baseball game, a Seattle Sounders soccer game or to a Washington Huskies football game. Some of their trip prizes include a trip for two to the Snug Harbor Resort on San Juan Island, WA, or to Willows Lodge in Woodinville, WA.

We now have a few more weeks left for both of these sweepstakes with some more prizes to give out. All the winners that I have contacted so far have been very happy and grateful for the prize that they have won. They also want to know if they are still eligible for the grand prize, which I tell them yes they are. At the end of the sweepstakes period we will draw a winner from each sweepstakes from all those that entered throughout the sweepstakes period. Each Grand Prize winner will be given the option to receive either a 3-year lease on a 2018 Honda Civic LX Sedan or a 3-year lease on a 2018 Honda HRV AWD LX. Both prize options are valued at $11,500.

All the dealers receive both an advertising media kit and a social media kit that includes all the information on the sweepstakes, a calendar that lists all the prizes along with information on the partners that have provided the prizes. The ad kit includes TV, radio and online ads that they can use and place with various media. The social media kit includes post ideas for the various weeks of the sweepstakes for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter along with photos that they can download and track-able links to include with each of the posts.

So RealWorld Marketing has provided a complete marketing package to help increase dealer visits, test drives and sales while making many people happy winners. I hope the promotion is a huge success for all involved.

Gold Rush DirtCar Giveaway Sweepstakes from DirtCar USA is back for a 2nd year

The Gold Rush Dirt Car Giveaway is back again and in the middle of it’s second year. Once again, DirtCar USA is giving away another race-ready dirt modified car. The car has been built by Harris Auto Racing and is powered by a Mullins Race engine. Also added to this years giveaway is over 50 racing products that will be secondary prizes valued between $50 to $600!

To enter this sweepstakes people are invited to purchase any of their race car parts at DirtCarUSA.com. For every $10 they spend on the website they get one entry into the sweepstakes for that month. Then each month, which started in March and ends in December, we draw five entrants who will be that month’s winners. DirtCar USA then will conduct an additional drawing via a Facebook Live event on their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/DirtCarUSA, to determine the monthly prize that each winner will receive. Here’s how that works:

First name drawn: Fifth place monthly winner receives a prize with minimum value of $50
Second name drawn: Fourth place monthly winner receives a prize with minimum value of $100
Third name drawn: Third place monthly winner receives a prize with minimum value of $150
Fourth name drawn: Second place monthly winner receives a prize with minimum value of $200
Fifth name drawn: First place monthly winner receives a prize with minimum value of $250 PLUS they will also receive one entry into the Finalist Grand Prize Drawing

One Grand Prize drawing will take place on December, 31, New Year’s Eve, from all the ten monthly Finalist winners. This drawing will also be conducted by DirtCar USA via a Facebook live event on their Facebook page. Each monthly Finalist winner will receive confirmation on when the final drawing will be held and invited to view the event.

The Grand Prize winner will receive the Race Car which will have been driven in several races during the 2018 calendar year. The next one on their schedule is the Dirt Knights race in Spencer Iowa and the Harris Clash race at Deer Creek Speedway, August 6th and 7th.

Because we are requiring a purchase to enter the sweepstakes, we also are providing an alternate means of entry without purchase which is by mail. The rules include the information required to mail in along with the mailing address. We have received many mail-in entries which continue to come in each month. So my assumption is that some sweepstakes newsletter must have picked up the information about this sweepstakes and posted it to their website. However, we also have been receiving many entries that have come from the website.

We will be doing the next drawing with all the July entries this coming Monday to determine this month’s five winners including the one finalist. DirtCar USA sent out an email yesterday on the last day of the month to encourage people to enter for July which is shown here.

So if you’re a race car fan, you can still enter for a chance to win in the next 5 monthly periods! An entrant can only win one prize per monthly drawing but may win additional prizes each month during the Sweepstakes period. Last year’s grand prize winner was a very happy guy, Nathaniel Webb from Ohio!

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Toyota What’s Your Sign Contest encourages participation from the community

For about the past five years we’ve been working with REACH, an experiential marketing and event management agency. Over the last year they have come to us for assistance for several promotions for their client, Toyota Motor North America, that are tied to Toyota’s sponsorship of the Rock ‘N Roll Marathon Series. We’ve been working with REACH on a new promotion that just launched last week called the Toyota What’s Your Sign Contest which will now be running till the late November.

Toyota became the official vehicle sponsor of the Rock ’N’ Roll Marathon Series back in 2015, and is one of several sponsors. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series has made running over 20 years now. The Series infuses each event with live bands, cheer teams and more. For 2018 the Series organizers, IRONMAN, are now promising to bring more music, better runner support, improved technology, and more community engagement to every event.

This year Toyota is continuing with their ROCK YOUR RUN theme. Runners and their supporters can find Toyota’s footprint at each event including at the finish line. During each festival in the 19 cities throughout the U.S., Toyota will have various vehicles on display and will offer fun games and also give out complimentary gifts. This new Contest was launched to coincide with the 2018 Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago race which was held this past weekend. The next event will take place in Dublin, Ireland, and then it comes back to the states on September 1st in Virginia Beach.

The Toyota What’s Your Sign Contest invites people to show off their best sign – motivational, inspirational or just plain funny. They are directed to the online contest page where they need to fill out the required fields on the entry form and upload a photo of their sign. The contest page includes photos of three different signs to help depict what the message photo should contain.

The one Grand Prize winner will receive a trip for themselves and a guest to attend an upcoming U.S. Rock ‘n’ Roll race that is scheduled to take place on or before November 30, 2019. The prize package includes the round-trip airfare for two to the race city, hotel accommodations for two nights and a $250 BROOKS gift certificate which is valued at $2,700.

The Contest submission period is open till November 12, 2018. Once that period has ended a panel of judges will review all eligible photos that were submitted and will choose five finalists based on the following judging criteria: 30% inspiration, 35% design, 35% originality and creativity. The photos from the five finalists will then be showcased in an online photo gallery and people will be invited to visit the gallery and vote for the photo they believe is the best. The voting period will be open from November 15 – 25. The photo that receives the most votes will be deemed the Grand Prize winner.

For this Contest we are again utilizing the Shortstack application in which we have built the entry form and are collecting all the entrant’s data along with their photos. I have given the REACH team direct access to the campaign as well as a separate, private, online page that was created so that they could view all the photos that are submitted in real time. Once it is time to judge all the photos, REACH will be able to share this page with the judges so they can chose the five finalists. At that time we will then update the photo gallery to display only the five finalists, add the voting capability and open it up for all to view and vote. One vote per day, per person will be allowed.

All of Shortstack’s entry pages are mobile friendly from the start with Shortstack’s “One Campaign for any screen” design philosophy. Each campaign created is assigned a URL address which can be customized by adding text to the beginning of the address, but keeping the characters that where originally assigned. In this case Toyota wanted a fully customized URL address so we purchased www.Toyotawhatsyoursign.com and am hosting the page. We took the embed code from the Shortstack campaign and added that to the new online page. If you would like more details on how to set up a promotion utilizing the Shortstack platform, please feel free to contact me. It’s a great tool and it also includes a great team of support people.

Hilary Van Messel, Producer at REACH stated “Similar to previous contests, this Contest goal is to develop a following and spark action in the Rock ’N’ Roll Marathon community. Differently, this Contest runs for an extended period of time, so we’re promoting it in fun and different ways, including a cyclist in each of the cities who passes out little business cards that explain the Contest to the supporters on the sidelines of the race courses. We hope that people get excited to enter, whether that is through our promo work or the trip for two Grand Prize.” Currently there have been a few photos submitted to the Contest. The Contest is also being promoted on various online social channels as well as it will be featured throughout the year on the official Rock ‘N Roll Marathon Facebook page.

The Join Me In Jamaica Sweepstakes is added to the Jamaica Tourist Board’s campaign

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) a couple of months ago launched their new Join Me In Jamaica digital marketing campaign. The campaign includes several 90-second videos featuring local Jamaican celebrities and friends of Jamaica sharing unique stories about the love for their profession, and their homeland and what makes it a great place to visit.

“The Join Me in Jamaica campaign was created with today’s savvy traveler in mind as purchasing decisions as to where one will vacation are often made after a series of online searches. These short videos will serve to entice visitors to come experience our destination and our greatest asset, our people,” noted Donovan White, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism in a press release.

We have now just started working with their agency, Finn Partners, to assist with the launch of the Join Me In Jamaica Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes, along with the campaign videos, will be targeted to those in the continental U.S. and Canada. It will be promoted through JTB’s social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as through a digital ad campaign aimed at reaching consumers where they look for inspiration while making travel decisions.

The sweepstakes just launched and people can enter by visiting www.joinmeinjamica.com and filling out an online registration form. At the end of the sweepstakes period, which ends on August 17, we will draw two Grand Prize Winners, one from the U.S. and one from Canada. Each grand prize winner will receive a trip to Jamaica that includes two round-trip economy air tickets along with a 4-night stay for two people in Jamaica, two nights at the Round Hill Hotel and Villas and two nights at Terra Nova All Suite Hotel. Also included are round trip transfers to and from the airport and the hotel. The prize is valued at $3,000 each.

A total of eight videos for the campaign were produced covering a variety of interests and passion points highlighting Jamaica’s music, cuisine and attractions. Each video was created through the eyes of local celebrities and personalities that share their stories about why they love their beautiful island. Here is one that features Chef Martin Maginley of Round Hill Resort and Villas, one of the hotels that’s included in the prize package.

You can see all eight videos of the campaign that feature the other local celebrities from Jamaica here at JoinMeInJamaica. Definitely makes we want to visit soon!

FIFA World Cup themed Mobile Game Promotion from the Coca-Cola and 7-Eleven Team

As we get close to the World Cup final game the excitement is building this week so I thought I’d write about a big promotion that I read about that is currently going on.

Coca-Cola brands and 7-Eleven have teamed up for the second time for the convenience store chain’s largest-ever in-store promotion around the World Cup tournament. More than 61,000 7-Eleven stores in 14 countries are participating, including 9,100 stores in the U.S. This time, the promotion features a “Predict A Score” game and sweepstakes requiring use of the retailer’s 7Rewards customer loyalty mobile app.

While the promotion is global, it has a local flavor in each country with unique products and promotions. The participating countries include Canada, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Denmark and Sweden. In the United States, specially marked “Share a Coke” cans at participating 7-Elevens have unique codes under their tabs that can be used to play the “Predict and Score” game in the retailer’s loyalty app. These include exclusive 16-ounce soda cans featuring a QR code that shoppers can scan to access exclusive content such as mobile wallpapers for smartphones, a 2014 FIFA World Cup mobile game and a link to the 7-Eleven mobile application. Also available on 7-Eleven shelves in the United States during July are size-5 commemorative soccer balls featuring the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Coca-Cola trademarks.

“The QR code brings an added-value experience to our guests,” said Margaret Chabris, director of corporate communications at 7-Eleven Inc., Dallas, TX. “The customer scanning the QR code not only gets the exclusive 2014 FIFA World Cup wallpaper, but also access to a mobile FIFA World Cup Game on the Coca-Cola Ahh.com Web site, and instructions on how to download the 7-Eleven app for lots of fun and exciting offers.”

Players can also earn 7Rewards points redeemable for select items at participating 7-Elevens, plus chances to win prizes and a sweepstakes grand prize of $50,000. For Coca-Cola, which has been sponsoring the FIFA games since 1978, the promotion is one of a score of sales-boosting efforts tied to the tournament. Each week through July 15, a bracket featuring upcoming games and teams appears in the 7-Eleven app. Each time 7Rewards members choose their picks to win in a given week, they earn 10 points, plus five points for each correct prediction. Only one game code may be entered per week.

Players who predict correctly can also move up the leaderboard after each week’s winning soccer teams are determined. The four players at the top of the leader board when the championship game concludes on July 15 will win prizes that include a $2,000 Delta Vacations gift card, $1,000 and $600 Best Buy gift cards, and a year-long sports streaming package. The next five players in the ranking will receive 10,000 7Rewards points. Thousands of 7Rewards points will be awarded to the balance of the top 300 players. All game winners and eligible entrants will be entered into the sweepstakes which continues through Aug. 31 for a chance to win the $50,000 grand prize.

Bull Rides & Duck Guides Giveaway from Banded to launch July 4th!

Banded is at it again. They, along with their prize provider partners, are launching a new sweepstakes with another big prize package. The Bull Rides & Duck Guides Giveaway Sweepstakes officially launches next week on July 4th to help celebrate this American holiday!

With this sweepstakes participants only need to sign up and fill out the online entry form once for a chance to win one of two great prize packages. The first prize is another very unique package that the team has put together, a professional bull riding experience. This includes two tickets for two nights to attend The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Finals 2018 which will take place November 10-11 in Las Vegas. The package also includes two round trip airline tickets for this winner and their guest to Las Vegas, a private tour of the Bull Housing and a meet & great with Bruiser (ABBI Classic & PBR World Champion Bull). The American Bucking Bull, Inc. (ABBI) and Banded Gear will also be throwing in a package each of their gear and Benelli is including one of their shotguns as well. The total value of the prize package is $4,000.

We’re going to be drawing the winner for this first prize package before the end date of the sweepstakes, on or about October 24, in order to have ample time to contact the winner and be able to make their reservations to travel to Las Vegas for the event. The PBR has been hosting this competition since 1994. They state on their website that “professional bull riding is America’s original extreme sport, a fierce, rough, and grueling sport with roots deeply imbedded in American culture. The PBR has evolved into a captivating and adrenaline charged sporting event that features an all star cast of the greatest bull riders and bucking bulls in the world.”

The second grand prize package is even bigger. It starts with a guided duck hunt which will take place in Arkansas for the winner and their guest which includes two nights at the hunting lodge and, if needed, two round airline tickets to Arkansas. However, also included in the prize package is a War Eagle 17′ Banded Edition “Gladiator” Boat with trailer. So the thinking is the winner may want to drive to Arkansas so that they can drive home with the boat. The ABBI and Banded are both also each providing a package for this prize winner and a Benelli Shotgun is also included. Total value of this prize package is $19,500. This drawing for this prize will take place once the sweepstakes ends, on or about November 8.

Both of these prize packages were created directly for the Banded community. BANDED was originally formed by a group of avid outdoorsmen, innovators, and product designers that joined forces after years of working in the outdoor industry. Their goal has been to create superior products to enhance the outdoor experience with a special focus on duck hunters.

Last summer I wrote this post about a new sweepstakes for Banded that kicked off called The Waterfowlers Dream Boat Giveaway in which they gave away another War Eagle boat and trailer. Before that I wrote another post about this very unique sweepstakes we worked with them on, The Bring Avery Home Sweepstakes, in which the main highlight was the prize, Avery, the hunting dog. A great dog lover won this prize and I say that not only because the winner had to answer many questions to meet the eligibility requirements, but also cause he has a golden retriever, which so do I.

So I’m hoping we end up with another successful promotion for Banded and all the prize providers that helped to make this sweepstakes possible. Also that we end up with two very happy winners that love the prize packages!

Jump on the Fast Track to Partner Success and Win a BMW 3 Series Sweepstakes

Laid-Back USA offers a chance to win a 1957 Chevy

We’ve lately been assisting with several different sweepstakes that are giving away a car. This one recently started this month and will be running till next year.

The Twice-Baked Sweepstakes is for an online company called Laid-Back USA. They started off just as a t-shirt company and now not only sell shirts but also hats, accessories and signs, that fit into different collections from “Laid-Back Rides” to “Laid-Back” Dogs, to Fishing, to Beach Life. All that fit the “Laid-Back lifestyle”.

The “ride” that they will be awarding with this sweepstakes is a 1957 Chevrolet valued at $30,000. The Grand Prize winner will need to travel to either Idaho or North Carolina to pick up the car. The sponsor is offering one round trip air ticket from the winner’s residence, along with one night’s hotel accommodations, in order to help the winner take possession of the car.

In order to enter the sweepstakes a participant will receive one entry for every $5.00 that they spend on the online store. For example this $25 Twice-Baked Rusty 57 Chevy Men’s Chill T-shirt is equal to five entries. Participants may also gain entries into the sweepstakes without purchase by sending an mail-in entry to the address outlined in the Official Rules which we will be collecting. A total of 200 entries per person regardless of the method of entry will be accepted.

Obviously their goal is to direct traffic to the online store and to create sales. This $5 purchase requirement appears to be a very popular tactic right now with several different types of online retailers, many awarding a car or other big value prize. We’ll have to wait a while though to see if this sweepstakes turns out successful for Laid-Back, USA. A 1957 Chevy though is a pretty cool prize you have to admit.