3 Considerations Every Brand Should Make Before Choosing A Promotional Reward

Promotional Reward

The Makings of a Quality Promotional Reward

The common denominator for all promotional marketing campaigns: a promotional reward. Whether it’s a sweepstakes, contest, game, loyalty program, etc., consumer participation is dependant upon a reward. So if everything hinges on the reward, why do they seem like an afterthought for some campaigns?

Selecting the right reward can be intimidating. There are a lot of variables to take into account. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. The best rewards will vary from brand to brand and even from promotion to promotion. But, there are a few considerations brands can make for each promotion to get on the right track.

Quality vs Quantity

The first consideration you should make regarding prizing is whether to reward one large grand prize or multiple smaller prizes. Of course you can do some combination of both, it all really comes down to your budget. But let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a quality grand prize vs a quantity of smaller prizes.

Quality

The three most common types of grand prize rewards are cash, destination vacation, and car. But really anything with an estimated retail value of above $10,000 is enough to be considered grand. The largest advantage of a grand prize is its marketability. Advertising your promotion by showcasing the grand prize rewards will definitely get attention.

Quantity

Some sweepstakes, contests, and games choose to reward multiple smaller prizes. The advantage this has over a grand prize, is that you give more consumers the feeling of being a winner. The more prizes there are, the higher chance fans have at winning. The best use of this tactic is when brands incorporate coupons and offers as instant prizes. For example, if consumers know that they have a 1 in 3 chance of at least getting something, even just a coupon, that will provide an exciting incentive for promotion participation.

Ultimately, the choice of quality vs quantity falls in your hands. For some promotions, one might make more sense over the other. For example, a sweepstakes main appeal for consumers is typically the exciting grand prize. But why not offer coupons as a reward to incentivise consumers as well? By balancing out your prizes, you can benefit from both quality and quantity.

Instant vs Delayed

The second consideration brands must make is whether to provide instant rewards or delayed gratification. This consideration goes hand in hand with quality over quantity. Usually a grand prize comes with a sweepstakes drawing, in which case the winner will not be chosen until a specific date.

With smaller prizes or coupons, you can reward fans instantly when they make an entry. With instant rewards, consumers get the high of feeling like a winner, and will be more likely have a very positive reaction with your promotion. On the other hand, delayed gratification can be used to encourage repeat participation. You can provide consumers with the incentive to make multiple entries in order to increase their chances of winning.

As with quality vs quantity, we find it best to balance both instant and delayed gratification with your promotion. If you are running a sweepstakes, we have seen a positive response when brands add an instant win element. And it works the other way as well! Many instant win games see increased repeat participation when there is a larger grand prize for fans to look forward to.

Specific vs Generic

The final consideration brands must make is whether or not to reward prizes specific to their brand, an event, or a season. The advantage of a branded reward, is it will attract more loyal consumers, vs ‘sweepers’. Sweepers are people who actively look for sweepstakes and contests to enter just for the chance to win. These consumers hold little to no value, they are not interested in your brand. By offering a branded reward, you will most likely see less participation in your promotion, but the quality of participants will be much higher.

 Additionally, some brands choose to reward prizes that relate to an event or season (like summer, or a holiday). This can add an extra layer of excitement to a promotion and can encourage participation. It is important to make sure the prizes you choose are still something fans will want. For example, just because sunscreen is a common summer item, doesn’t mean people will want it as a prize in your summer themed promotion.

In the end, the choice comes down to whether you are running a promotion just to create buzz and get high participation or if you want to create a stronger bond with quality consumers. Generic rewards have little to no risk and will yield higher participation. While branded rewards will typically weed out the sweepers and attract loyal fans.

Consumer participation is dependant upon your promotional reward. Be sure to make careful considerations about your prizing and your fans will thank you! 

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2022 CPG Promotional Strategy Guide

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Systems and Network Administrator

About Us

Marketing Resources, Inc. is a leading promotional marketing agency that specializes in purpose-driven promotions. With over 25 years in the business, MRi helps brands Identify, Develop, Execute, and Analyze promotions and marketing projects that consumers love. We’re a team full of committed, passionate, solutions-driven, hands-on, and innovative individuals who collaborate to bring success to our client’s programs.

Overview

The System and Network Administrator plays a critical role on the MRi Digital team, and overall in the success of our company. They are responsible for the day-to-day administration and technical support of complex Linux servers, Virtual Infrastructure and Systems Management, and maintenance and support of end-user systems. You’ll be working closely with our teams on client projects and making sure our internal systems are updated and secure. 

Our ideal candidate will be proactive, have great organizational skills, not shy away from communication with our teams, think through and help solve different problems, and gain an understanding of our business to help our team achieve amazing results.

In this role, we’re looking for that person who does not accept average.

You will help us create the best digital, promotions, products, and campaigns to achieve our client’s marketing goals. MRi takes pride in our ability to constantly push the boundaries of development in the digital promotions space, and you will take an active role in working closely with our client services, business development, creative, and project management team to guide, develop, and deliver exceptional work for our clients and partners.

Our ideal candidate will be proactive, have great organizational skills, not shy away from communication with our teams, think through and help solve different problems, and gain an understanding of our business to help our team achieve amazing results.

Responsibilities May Include

  • Design, install, configure, upgrade, maintain, monitor, and tune performance of Linux-based servers and infrastructure, both internal and client-related promotions.
  • Provide support for problems and issues that come up from our clients, vendors, and internal teams.
  • Examine and audit various server logs and determine if any corrective action is required.
  • Review releases of new operating systems and evaluate the implementation in the enterprise.
  • Install, configure, and maintain server firewall and other security software.
  • Identify and provide technical resolution for potential security breaches, then establish and monitor security and apply appropriate fixes.
  • Implement and maintain technical solutions for disaster recovery and business continuity of enterprise and client systems.
  • Select the ideal server hardware for the company’s needs and administer physical server hardware, including repair and replacement of parts as necessary.
  • Monitor and maintain proper end-user system security by ensuring operating systems and software are up-to-date and applying patches as necessary.
  • Maintenance and support of all end-user service accounts including Office365, Google Workspace, hosted VoIP accounts.

The Essentials

  • 1-2 years of experience in Linux server administration in a small to midsize environment.
  • Bachelor’s degree or minimum 4 years of related work experience.
  • Able to effectively plan, deploy and administer Linux servers in an enterprise environment.
  • Strong familiarity with Linux OS, Windows, macOS, application, and hardware troubleshooting.
  • Familiarity with VMware ESXi and XenServer/XCP-NG, DigitalOcean, Amazon AWS, and Docker.
  • Networking and Storage – Familiarity with pfSense (*BSD pf) firewalls, Ubiquiti network gear, Synology NAS equipment, iSCSI, NFS, SMB, and AFP file protocols.  TCP/IP, UDP, and VLAN. configurations to manage networking and storage.  
  • Ability to compose thorough and clear documentation on routine tasks, standard operating procedures, and other documents beneficial to team members.

You’ll stand out if you have experience with

  • Debian-based Linux or Ubuntu operating systems, roles, services, concepts, security, permissions, middleware, and facilities required. (e.g. SMTP, NFS, SMB, iptables, LVM, LUKS).
  • Amazon AWS S3, EC2, and ElasticBeanstalk required.
  • Samba4 as an Active Directory Domain Controller, Administering Active Directory through. the use of GPOs and OUs.
  • Supporting Windows and macOS systems.
  • Scripting concepts and methods with competence in at least one relevant language (e.g. Bash, Python, Perl, etc.)
  • Internet clients/servers/protocols, including HTTPS, SSH, MTAs (e.g. Postfix).
  • An ability to explain complex technical processes in a more simplified version to team members, clients, and partners.
  • Experience with IT project management practices and techniques.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.

The Perks

  • Medical insurance options
  • Dental insurance
  • 401(K) plan with company match
  • Flexible remote work policy
  • Paid sick days
  • Generous vacation and paid holidays

Interested in applying?

Send Resumes to resumes@marketingresources.com