Once the hype from their grand openings subsides, businesses can sometimes run into trouble finding ways to remain in the minds of their target market. A great way for a company to renew interest in its brand and generate excitement, while giving back to its customers at the same time, is to host a contest. (Image courtesy: www.vistaprint.com)This week, Vistaprint, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based leading provider of marketing materials, launched its “Make an Impression” contest, which offers the chance to win a “full marketing package” valued at $10,000. To enter, “microbusinesses,” or companies with fewer than 20 employees, can visit www.1-800-Vistaprint.com/contest, where they will answer questions about themselves and submit a story about “how they have made an impression on their customer base.”
“Over the past 10 years, Vistaprint has been a champion of micro businesses everywhere, giving them the tools and services to succeed in presenting a professional brand image to customers,” Bridget O'Brien, vice president of marketing communications at Vistaprint explained. “The company launched this contest as a way to give back to that community and allow them to showcase their businesses.”
Entrants of the competition are encouraged to spread the word about their candidacy using Twitter, Facebook, and any other means available, to motivate contacts to cast votes for their entry on the contest’s website. Ultimately, user votes will count for up to ten points, which will then be added to the scores provided by Vistaprint’s judges to determine the contest’s winners.
Early September, four microbusinesses will be selected to win the grand prize of a “full marketing campaign,” which includes a $600 HP gift card, a web commercial, 1,000 brochures, 1,000 business cards, 1,500 post cards, a direct mail campaign, 30 lawn signs, 1 banner, and 50 T-shirts. O’Brien ensures that the grand prize will “dramatically impact” the winners’ marketing efforts, “increase their customer base,” and “enhance their brand.” (Video courtesy: www.vistaprint.com)
To generate further interest in its contest, Vistaprint has provided a way for even non-businesses owners to win a prize. Simply by logging into the contest’s website, and then promoting the contest via Twitter, one is entered into a free sweepstakes. About mid-September, a winner will be selected at random from the pool applicants and awarded a 16 GB iPad valued at nearly $500.
Launching a contest is a crafty use of money. Rather than simply pumping $40,000 into a standard print or online marketing campaign, Vistaprint has chosen to offer four $10,000 prizes, which will generate positive PR, and ideally garner many happy customers in the long run. Tossing around this sum of money is a bit of a gamble, but also a great way to cut through the clutter to reach small businesses that can truly benefit from Vistaprint’s services.
[Sources: http://bit.ly/bPG8AT, http://bit.ly/dAFM7T]
