How to run on pack competitions and promotions

Abi Roman

Since the explosion of social media platforms and popularity there are now so many new ways to run promotions and it is worth considering if more traditional methods are still as useful. We look into the world of on-pack promotions in 2018.

Recent research shows that consumers still have a keen interest in these types of promotions. A survey of 2,000 UK consumers found that 69% have taken part in a promotion of some kind, on-pack, in store or online in the past 12 months. When it comes to on-pack promotions, one-third of adults are more likely to buy a product if it has a promotion on it, especially people between the ages for 18-24. This research supports the idea that on-pack promotions are still popular and should be considered a part of marketing strategy to support a new product launch or to make it stand out from the rest.

It is also worth pointing out that whilst High Fat Salt & Sugar (HFSS) rules prevent advertising these types of foods to children, there are no restrictions on what can be printed onto packs – so brands may want to use this space to the best of their advantage. What is most important is that whilst useful in reaching a wide market and creating consumer engagement, on-pack promotions are easy to mess up or run incorrectly which can lead to negative publicity on a viral scale. Here are some of our best tips to keep in mind to make sure your next on-pack promotion is a success.

  1. Prizes: Have more than one Star Prize so that if someone wins the big prize early the promotion does not lose momentum. It is also recommended that you give away many lower value prizes along with the few large value prizes over the entry period to build engagment and create more winners – this way customers feel like their chances of winning are much higher.
  2. Mix it up: To increase levels of engagement and redemption rates, include more than one level to your promotion. For example, a small number of hidden items as well as thousands on on-pack codes.
  3. Remember the Rules: You must include independent verification in your on-pack promotion – The CAP Code requires that an independent statement is made showing that winning instant-win tickets and codes are awarded or distributed fairly and randomly. To prevent any fraud, have independent auditors involved during key checkpoints such as when winning packs are printed or golden tickets are seeded.
  4. Plan ahead: Make sure you have enough prizes available and send them out on time – It can be hard to estimate the number of redemptions but plan your fulfilment properly as it is vital not to disappoint your customers or you could incur a ruling from the ASA and a fine from Trading Standards, not to mention all the bad publicity.
  5. Instant means instant: Remember the CAP Code states that instant win entrants “…must get their winnings at once or must know immediately what they have won and how to claim without delay, cost or administrative barriers”. This means that entrants entering an online code cannot be asked for their details before they find out if they have won, neither can you ask them to post winning items as proof because they would need to pay for postage which is banned.
  6. Don’t forget the packaging: Make sure your designer includes the summary terms on your promotional pack and if you are running an overseas promotion you may need extra room for all the various translations.
  7. Consider the trade too: Rewarding the convenience store where a winning item has been found is good incentive for staff to display products and POS prominently.
  8. Finally, be creative: we find hiding ingenious winning items in packs or replicas of products to let a consumer know they’ve won makes the promotion much more exciting. When the winning Cadbury Creme Eggs were made from white chocolate this year it created a huge buzz that increased awareness and sales!

For more help and advice with running successful on-pack promotions contact PromoVeritas on +44 203 325 6000 or email info@promoveritas.com or join us at our next Be in the Know Breakfast Briefing on On-Pack Promotions at Langan’s Brasserie on 27th June 2018. To find out more email abi.roman@promoveritas.com.

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