A Daily Mail article has brought the dangers of brand promotions into the consumers light.
Walker's new campaign and promotion involves a online game where a £10 prize is available. Consumers enter on the Walkers website, with a code number found on Walkers crisp packets. The website then lets each consumer pick a time and place from a map that they think it will rain, and if correct they are awarded £10.
The idea behind the campaign is good, it has links with their other campaigns and is driving more traffic to the website and providing an incentive for people to buy their brand.
However, they have set themselves on thin ice and their online betting game is proving an easy win and they had already paid out £660,000 by the beginning of November, and the promotion is set to run though November.
Consumers are also cottoning on about how successful (for them) it has been. There have been many reports about consumers writing down the codes in shops as they are printed on the outside of the packets.
The idea is good, promotions still get people participating; but in hindsight Walkers should have at least printed the codes on the inside of the packs so consumers had to buy the crisps to access them. Hindsight is wonderful thing, and is never there when you need it the most.
I think this is a warning to all agencies and brands. With advertising becoming more and more apparent in every part of the consumers world, they will be looking for way to swing the stakes their way. Consumers know more and more about advertising methods, does this mean agencies have to get at least 5 steps ahead to play the game?
Your only issue is that if they printed it on the inside, some consumers wont actually find the voucher and they'll get complaints. It's more of a growing trend for people to complain if anything require them to do any work. Essentially companies need to strike a perfect balance between getting the comsumers to particiate and ease of joining in the fun
ReplyDelete