Retailers Hand Marketing to Customers
Increasingly, retailers are using the Internet and web-based social networking tools to directly involve customers in their marketing efforts. By offering customers rewards for activities such as creating videos of themselves using a particular product, retailers gain publicity, develop more intimate customer relationships, and obtain free advertising.
In the past month,
Amazon,
Quiznos,
Dunkin’ Donuts and
Starbucks have all launched contests inviting consumers to create promotional photos and/or videos of themselves. The contests have all included voting by fellow consumers, and most have tied in some way to major social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and MySpace.
Yesterday, two more large chain retailers joined the trend of offering customers the chance to participate in a “do-it-yourself” marketing campaign. Broadline closeout retailer Big Lots launched the
second phase of a video contest called
Lots2Give, and fast food chicken retailer KFC initiated a search for a
customer to represent its new Kentucky Grilled Chicken product line. Following are brief overviews of each retailer’s promotion.
Big Lots
As part of its Lots2Give campaign, Big Lots asked public schools across the U.S. to submit short videos and brief essays explaining why their school is in need of financial support and deserves a $10,000 grand prize. The cash awards include one $10,000 grand prize, three $5,000 first prizes, and 22 $2,500 second prizes.
From June 11 through July 12, the public can vote for their favorite Lots2Give video up to three times a day at the Lots2Give site. Those votes will determine the winners.
In addition to the video contest, Big Lots established an in-store donation program to help participating schools. Now through July 12, customers can help selected schools by donating $1 or $5 at participating Big Lots stores, with all donations going to participating schools.
KFC
KFC is partnering with social networking site MySpace to find the “ultimate fan” of its new KGC (Kentucky Grilled Chicken) brand. Customers can
submit videos explaining why they are the ultimate fan through July 7. The public will then vote through July 25 to select three finalists, who will be put to public vote beginning August 1.
The winner will receive KFC gift cards valued at more than $13,000 and also be featured in future advertisements for the KGC brand. The contest page on MySpace also features interactive games and other features designed to promote customer interaction.
