How much attention to you pay to the prize of a competition? Are you the 'enter anything' competition and think that if you don't like the prize then you can sell it on e-bay. Or do you carefully read what all the prizes are (including runner up prizes) and only enter if you really want it.
But what about the current Firebox competition to win 50% of the profits from a new product. You have to design it and Firebox will choose the best idea, make it and give you 50% of their profit. Ideas for good selling products are hard to find. I know that actually getting something to market does take a lot of effort but it is the (good) ideas that are hard to find. The winner will also probably wait sometime for their prize. How long will it take to get the product on the website, and how much longer before they start making a profit - possibly never. I know that Firebox are a well known site but how will they define 'profit'. On the other hand I do see that they are already selling last year's winner. Would you spend your time on inventing something with so vague an outcome? Though at least it isn't a voting competition.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Friday, 1 October 2010
Rewards
Isn't it strange how you can just not notice some things. I have been saving points from Twining teas but it is slow going as it is really only me who drinks tea here. However, I was entering a competition for Canderel the other day and noticed that I had some points with their reward scheme. I thought this was a bit strange as I don't really use this product and have never entered any points into their scheme. So I looked further and discovered these points were gained via the Twinings scheme - why? I realised that the scheme was run by a company called Coinks so I went to their site and found that you could use points from several different schemes together. How many Andrex and McVitie's packets have I thrown away without noticing this scheme. I now look forward to increasing my points. It just goes to show that you should always look at packets before you throw them away as you just never know what you may find.
This isn't what I was going to write about today but as I have forgotten what that was .....
This isn't what I was going to write about today but as I have forgotten what that was .....
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Out of the ordinary competitions
I started doing a competition from Vedett to win a cement mixer! Unfortunately I never got round to entering it (having the grandchildren for a week meant no spare time).
You had to work out how many miles the cement mixer had travelled on a tour of the UK. Each day the details of which bar/pubs it would be visiting were listed. The closing date was very close to the end of the tour which meant you had to keep up to date on where the truck was going. It was not an easy competition and I think a guess would have been as good as working it out carefully as not enough information was given. Did it use the motorways, what about toll roads? Where did they stop overnight and was this mileage to be included? Typically, though the competition closed over three week ago, it is still on the website. I will have to keep going back to see if they publish the answer.
I don't mind a competition I have to work hard for, in fact I like them as they don't get many entries. But I think if it is complicated then all the facts should be available. It is easy just to use Roboform and send off hundreds of entries into basic draws but that means that lots of others are doing it as well.
Another out of the ordinary competition at the moment is on Auto Trader. I wont be doing this one as I cannot work out cryptic clues. Also I am not keen on daily competitions because if I can't do it one day I feel put out.
You had to work out how many miles the cement mixer had travelled on a tour of the UK. Each day the details of which bar/pubs it would be visiting were listed. The closing date was very close to the end of the tour which meant you had to keep up to date on where the truck was going. It was not an easy competition and I think a guess would have been as good as working it out carefully as not enough information was given. Did it use the motorways, what about toll roads? Where did they stop overnight and was this mileage to be included? Typically, though the competition closed over three week ago, it is still on the website. I will have to keep going back to see if they publish the answer.
I don't mind a competition I have to work hard for, in fact I like them as they don't get many entries. But I think if it is complicated then all the facts should be available. It is easy just to use Roboform and send off hundreds of entries into basic draws but that means that lots of others are doing it as well.
Another out of the ordinary competition at the moment is on Auto Trader. I wont be doing this one as I cannot work out cryptic clues. Also I am not keen on daily competitions because if I can't do it one day I feel put out.
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Competitions
Thought I would do a bit of research into the world of competitions and was quite surprised at how many companies are anti 'compers'.
There are so many sites now that give you all the details of competitions that it is easy to enter hundreds a week. I use one of these sites (Loquax), and find it very useful. It tells me what the prize is, when the closing date is and what type of competition i.e. tie breaker, photo/video, draw or question to answer. It also allows me to record what competitions I have entered so I don't duplicate my entries.
The trouble is that people are trying to make extra money where ever they can - look at the growth of e-bay. So these people enter every competition they can and if they win a prize they don't want then they can sell it on e-bay.
Unfortunately companies that run competitions are slow to catch on to this type of comper and make it easy for them. It is no good them complaining that the answers to their competitions are published on site like MSE and compers can enter their competition without looking at the rest of the site. Well why don't they change the rules? Why not make the compers look for things, surely it is possible to tell if people have been to web pages other than the competiton.
There are also sites that enter competitions for you. These really annoy me as they give compers a bad name, but again those running the competition just need to write it in the rules - no third party entries, or all entries from unique IP addresses (though that is a pain for those using internet cafes).
I can't understand why companies don't want compers coming to their sites. I have found lots of interesting sites via competitions. There are so many websites for so many different products and services that it is easy for one to get lost, so they should be using every tool available to get noticed. Compers talk on these comping sites about the different companies who run competitions and are quick to praise or condemn so not only do competitions attract more visitors they also get people talking about the companies/products.
Competitons that rely on votes is a subject for another day.
There are so many sites now that give you all the details of competitions that it is easy to enter hundreds a week. I use one of these sites (Loquax), and find it very useful. It tells me what the prize is, when the closing date is and what type of competition i.e. tie breaker, photo/video, draw or question to answer. It also allows me to record what competitions I have entered so I don't duplicate my entries.
The trouble is that people are trying to make extra money where ever they can - look at the growth of e-bay. So these people enter every competition they can and if they win a prize they don't want then they can sell it on e-bay.
Unfortunately companies that run competitions are slow to catch on to this type of comper and make it easy for them. It is no good them complaining that the answers to their competitions are published on site like MSE and compers can enter their competition without looking at the rest of the site. Well why don't they change the rules? Why not make the compers look for things, surely it is possible to tell if people have been to web pages other than the competiton.
There are also sites that enter competitions for you. These really annoy me as they give compers a bad name, but again those running the competition just need to write it in the rules - no third party entries, or all entries from unique IP addresses (though that is a pain for those using internet cafes).
I can't understand why companies don't want compers coming to their sites. I have found lots of interesting sites via competitions. There are so many websites for so many different products and services that it is easy for one to get lost, so they should be using every tool available to get noticed. Compers talk on these comping sites about the different companies who run competitions and are quick to praise or condemn so not only do competitions attract more visitors they also get people talking about the companies/products.
Competitons that rely on votes is a subject for another day.
What is this blog about?
I wonder if people will find my meanderings interesting. Really it is just to fill in the time when I should, for example, be doing my VAT return. Actually I usually spend a few hours each afternoon entering competitions, but have won so little this year I am getting bored of doing them. Don't know what others feel about investing 5-6 hours a week to entering competitions for little return - this year I have won £250 camcorder, two CDs and a box of cereals. I have won more in the past but it is over two years since I have won anything decent. Still I do have this time spare as my work doesn't completely fill my time but I need to be here in the office.
Weather today in the Highlands is c**p. Dogs have come back from their walk really wet and shaken themselves all over the office. At least the mess is not at home. They really need a brush but don't seem to have got home early enough lately to feel up to doing it.
Will have to go back out in the rain later as need to post a letter. Last payment on my car and the finance company have taken the wrong amount out my account. So recorded delivery letter on its way. Why do they make mistakes? It is a strange amount different, £81.17.
It is six months today since I lost my lovely German Shepherd dog. She is buried in the garden where she loved to lie. Don't think she would be out there today in all this rain.
Weather today in the Highlands is c**p. Dogs have come back from their walk really wet and shaken themselves all over the office. At least the mess is not at home. They really need a brush but don't seem to have got home early enough lately to feel up to doing it.
Will have to go back out in the rain later as need to post a letter. Last payment on my car and the finance company have taken the wrong amount out my account. So recorded delivery letter on its way. Why do they make mistakes? It is a strange amount different, £81.17.
It is six months today since I lost my lovely German Shepherd dog. She is buried in the garden where she loved to lie. Don't think she would be out there today in all this rain.
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