Brands have been running sweepstakes to collect data, understand their consumers, generate leads, and accomplish any number of marketing objectives with us for decades, and we’ve learned a thing or two in that time. One thing’s for sure, there is no shortage of lingo and acronyms your brand needs to know. While it may seem a bit complex at first, don’t let promotional marketing stress you out! 

Understanding these acronyms and shorthand phrases not only makes things easier when meeting with your sweepstakes administrator, but can actually help protect your brand. Sweepstakes official rules carry so much significance for your brand, be sure you fully understand every aspect of your rules and become fluent in sweepstakes acronyms and lingo. 

A Sidenote before we dive in:

Save this fact for your next trivia night!

An “acronymn” is formed when you take the first letter of each word of a phrase to create a new pronounceable word. NASA, LASER, and NATO are some examples. 

When you combine the first letter of each word and then say each letter, as opposed to a single pronounced word, you actually have an “initalism.” Aptly named, since you say the first initial of each word. Think of things like ATM, VIP, or FBI.

Pretty much everyone uses “acronymn” as an umbrella term to represent both acronyms and initalisms, so don’t sweat it if you get the two confused. Trust us, we know a thing or two about common misconceptions (for example, not all promotional campaigns are called a “sweepstakes” We explain that and more in Sweepstakes 101). 

1PH, shorthand for “1 entry per household” indicates the number of submissions allowed in a promotional campaign. There are a few variations of this, depending on the rules of the campaign. 

1PP

1 Entry Per Person

This abbreviation denotes that each entrant may only submit a maximum of one time. 

Addie/Addy

Address

A common abbreviation for an entrant’s address.

Affy

Affidavit

Affy is slang for affidavit. An affidavit is a document that must be signed by the winner of your promotional marketing campaign. Affidavits confirm the winner’s identity, that they understood the rules of the promotion, and officially releases your brand of any liability once the prize is received. So, for example, if your award someone a jetski and they crash that jetski an hour after they sign they affy, your brand is safe. Awards or prizes with an ARV over $600 typically require an affidavit. 

AMOE- 

Alternate Means of Entry

What’s the definition of AMOE? It stands for “Alternate Method of Entry.” This simply means a sweepstakes or promotional campaign accepts more than one means of entry. This is not only convenient for consumers, but critical for brands to understand in order to avoid breaking any state or federal lottery laws. For more information on contest and sweepstake laws by state, check out our guide.

ARV- 

Approximate Retail Value

ARV means “approximate retail value” or an estimate of the price of a prize. The ARV of a single item may change over time, depending on the current market conditions. For more on selecting a promotional prize, check out our guide. 

CAPTCHA

Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart

Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, or CAPTCHA, is quite the mouthful! No wonder its acronym is so ubiquitous. CAPTCHA exists to verify that humans submit online form submissions, not robots, computers, or code. These are the “puzzles” that users have to complete before submitting their info. 

ED

End Date

ED commonly refers to the promotional campaign’s last official day. The day the sweepstakes ends. 

IDEA

Identify, Develop, Execute, Analyze- MRi’s IDEA Process

MRi’s IDEA Process is our unique, 4-step approach to developing promotional campaigns that put your marketing on top of the world. The IDEA process is our full-service, consultative approach blends consumer insights, promotional expertise in the marketplace, and past experiences to Identify your promotion’s unique purpose, creating a stronger, more emotional connection with your consumers.

IWG

Instant Win Game

Whenever you encounter “IWG” in regards to promotional marketing, it most likely means Instant Win Game. 

Your Brand’s Sweepstakes MVP

Now that you know the lingo, it’s time to meet your brand’s sweepstakes MVP, MRi.

If you’re looking for a partner who’s been in the business for over 25 years and who can help you take your sweepstakes to the next level, contact one of our experts today for a free consultation.