Contests

Objectives of Contests:
1. To boost engagement
2. To increase brand awareness
3. To generate additional followers on social media
4. To give consumers a sense of ownership in the company
5. To increase email newsletter list

The Tactics:
1. Email marketing to current subscribers
2. Social media – paid and unpaid
3. Website

Contest 1: “I wrote an ad about PoopBags.com”

“I wrote an ad about PoopBags.com” allowed consumers the chance to enter to win $250.00 worth of products from PoopBags.com by writing a Google AdWords advertisement. Due to the character restrictions on Google, this proved more difficult than we had anticipated. However, we were able to spin it as the winner actually donated her winnings to Austin Pets Alive.

Contest 2: Be the Butt

After we analyzed the results of the advertisement writing contest, we determined to have a photo contest called “Be the Butt”. The rules were that we would replace the iconic dog rear end logo with the winner’s pet bottom for a limited time. The winner also would receive a $100.00 in products from PoopBags.com and framed illustration of the pet’s bottom.

As is normal at PoopBags.com, the unexpected happened: Miss Tipsy, a rooster, won the contest. This was fantastic as it made people laugh, spawned controversy and generated a lot of buzz all over PoopBags.com’s Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Overall, we achieved our goals and the results were amazing:
– 66% of the entrants were new to the PoopBags brand.
– 116% fan base increase on its Facebook page.
– An informal comparison showed we had the third most pet photo contest entries to two major pet food manufacturers at the time (approximately 600).
– Were accepted into the Facebook Studio Gallery, which spotlights companies for their exemplary Facebook centric campaigns. For a small business, this was quite the accomplishment as we were among elite brands such as Coca-Cola, Corona and Nike. Additionally, Wildfire Interactive, the contest portal provider, was considering writing a case study about the contest.