Promotions & Sweepstakes Marketing

While the weeks leading up to New Years Eve are often spent reflecting upon the last twelve months and how they impacted your life, the second the clock strikes midnight all focus moves toward what’s to come. What kind of year will 2012 be? According to ancient China, starting January 23, 2012 and going until February 9, 2013, we are in what the ancient Chinese label “The Year of the Yang Water Dragon.” Here at MRI, we expect this to be an exciting year in the promotional world! Here are a handful of things to look for in 2012:

1. Super Bowl ads: It’s no secret that much of the hype surrounding the Super Bowl is generated in anticipation for the commercials. Whether you’re looking out for the funniest or the most creative advertisement, this is the number one day you should give your DVR a much-deserved break and check out the big money commercials. For Super Bowl 46, expect more 60-second advertisements than normal. Advertisers are turning to storytelling to give their products substance and are making this happen by forking out the big bucks to get longer airtime.

2. Google+: While we saw a glimpse of the power of Google in 2011 (Google+ has already gathered over 60 million users), thus far this supposed rival of Facebook has disappointed many. However, Google+ has continued to grow steadily into 2012–and it’s not stopping there. This year, we expect this social media outlet to distinguish itself from the other giants—Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr—causing it to delve deeper into the everyday lives of users. We definitely think Google has something up its’ sleeve with this one.

3. End of the World: Whether you’re a believer in the Mayan hypothesis of December 22nd, 2012 being the last day of the world or not, there’s no avoiding the hype surrounding this heavily talked about date. We can only assume the promotional world will follow suit and present us with a variety of “End of the World” sweepstakes and contests. As the date approaches, look out for a lot of Twitter and Facebook activity focusing on this topic. The largely controversial date is undoubtedly going to light up the social media screen.

4. QR Codes: As we have seen, marketers are consistently trying to keep up with technology and utilize the advances that have been made. In 2012, look out for an increase in usage of QR and 2D codes, which were developed to quickly and easily link content to smart-phones. Don’t underestimate the power of the QR/2D code. They store more information than we ever thought possible. Advertisers may not have these tiny squares of information figured out quiet yet, but QR codes are their best friends.

5. London Olympics: Since its inception in 1896, the Summer Olympics have occurred in the same year as the United States Presidential Election. Every Olympic year, Democrats and Republicans blast each other over petty disagreements, but come late July everyone is on the same team for three weeks to cheer on the best athletes the United States of America has to offer. In 2012 we welcome the London Olympics, which are sure to not only unify the USA once again, but also make a presence in the promotional world. If you have dreams of seeing the red, white, and blue in all its glory this Olympics, look for promotions this spring and summer that have a London trip as the grand prize.

With the New Year often comes a renewed interest or focus on ways that we can improve ourselves.  Marketing Resources, Inc. has decided to “step-up” its recycling efforts for 2012 by giving each employee their own personal recycling bin, as well as placing additional recycling bins throughout the office.  At MRI, we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility to both our clients and team by promoting the importance of the three “R’s”: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We hope that by placing these additional recycling bins around the office, we will be able to save and give back more than we ever have.

Here are some of the ways our company models this idea:

• Turn lights /equipment off when finished for the day
• Distribute reports via email to limit paper waste
• Recycle pop cans / tops after lunch
• Recycle old /unwanted electronics
• Utilize the reusable containers that are available instead of paper products

What do YOU know about your recycling program?

Many of us here were surprised by our recycling program’s list of “acceptable” and “not acceptable” items, so we thought it might be a good idea to share it with you.

Find out more info about ways to recycle here: http://eartheasy.com/live_recycling.htm

Ways that MRI employees save and give back

1. “ I reuse the bows, boxes, and tissues that I gathered the year prior, so that I can save money and time spent on decorating presents for the next year.”

2.  “Making sure that I recycle anything and everything I can.”

3. “Every year I check for drafts in my home and one of the easiest ways to do that is by holding a lit candle against any window or door that you speculate might have a draft. If the light of the candle goes out, you know where the draft is coming from.”

4.  “The week after Christmas I notice that a lot of my neighbors throw away old toys and furniture, so If I see something that I feel would be of benefit to someone,  I’ll make sure to pick it up and bring it to the local church or Salvation Army.”

5. “ My family donates books and clothing to our local grade school to help the less fortunate kids.”

6. “Donate food and blankets to the local animal shelters.”

Be a Green Company!

By choosing to operate a green business, not only is it good for the environment but also for your business’s bottom line because conserving resources and cutting down on waste saves money and time.  What are some of the ways your company is giving back, or more importantly, what are you doing to improve as a company in 2012?

With every Thanksgiving holiday comes great food and fun times with friends and family. MRI makes this a priority at the office as well. This year’s Turkey Bowl was no different. A delicious and wonderfully presented pot luck for lunch was followed by a hilarious bowling competition. The game required bowlers to whip a frozen turkey breast at a set of bowling pins. One of the frames mandated competitors  to roll the turkey backwards, under the legs. This made for some very funny moments… Continue reading “9th Annual Turkey Bowl” »

Since its inception in 2006, Twitter has taken the World Wide Web by storm with its unique approach to social media. The 140 character posts more commonly known as “tweets” have not only made their way into our everyday vocabulary, but have also made an impact on the way we receive information. More than anything else, Twitter is a real-time news source and an important, influential marketing tool. Companies are recognizing Twitter’s overwhelming presence in the social world and have begun utilizing its powerful outreach to promote their brands and organizations. It has also become an easy way for businesses to directly connect with consumers. For those of you not familiar with the “Twitterverse”, here is a quick list of terms and ideas you’ll need to familiarize yourself with: Continue reading “Twitter: The Next Promotion Powertool” »

This year’s event had everyone bringing their creative minds and appetites together to compete in our 6th annual pumpkin decorating/pancake breakfast.  After indulging in a delicious breakfast, teams got together to begin the race for first place.  One hour later, we had six uniquely crafted pumpkins that reflected the variety of personalities that we have here at MRI.  We had a great time and hope you enjoy the pictures below! Congratulations to both winning teams. Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

Continue reading “MRI’s 6th Annual Halloween Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast & Decorating Contest 2011” »

Viral marketing on Facebook has become a major key player in the field of promotions. With Facebook now surpassing the 800 million user mark, it only makes sense that companies incorporate Facebook as a medium to reach consumers, as a way to promote business. Facebook, once a social networking website for college students, has quickly become one of the biggest forms of advertising today.  Facebook anticipates that its new layout modifications and latest features will keep users engaged and will enhance their experience. Continue reading “Facebook: 2 New Features Marketers Must Master” »

World Harbors was looking to capture a sense of adventure with their consumers and offer them a chance to win a fantasy vacation through a Facebook sweepstakes. Consumers just need to like the World Harbors page and register for a chance to win. Continue reading “World Harbors Launches Facebook Sweepstakes” »

Today’s explosive economic environment has already had a profound impact on American business. A volatile stock market coupled with a suddenly reticent consumer base has left many companies across the spectrum of American business scrambling to make changes to their marketing plans. Continue reading “9 Reasons to Run a Consumer Promotion” »

Have you ever considered developing a promotional sweepstakes, contest or game for your brand, but thought it seemed too complicated? Maybe you have a client who recently approached you about developing one and you’re feeling apprehensive, or just need a refresher on the process.In this article, we’ll break down the basic steps of developing your own legal promotion and empower you to broaden the scope of your business opportunities. Continue reading “Sweepstakes 101” »

In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s hard to get attention for your brand or product. Traditional media outlets are slowly dying out, and everyone’s attention is divided among dozens of modes of communication, from traditional radio, TV, and print to limitless online platforms-from Facebook and YouTube to the latest blog. Aiming to saturate the market by placing advertising dollars in one medium doesn’t cut it these days.

So where should you spend your precious advertising dollars? How about on a contest? There are a number of reasons for exploring this option. Continue reading “Why Run a Contest???” »