There's No Point Reading This - You Won't Win a Prize
Posted: Sunday, August 09, 2009
by Connor Davidson
We all live in a world of advertising. You can't go out of your house without seeing an advert for something or other. In fact you can't stay inside your house and not see an advert. Thus, advertising has become a part of everyday life. Yet, to an advertiser this presents problems. The more adverts you see the less you pay attention to them. For example if one channel played one advert that was 10 seconds long every 30 minuets would you turn the TV over in the ad break? Whereas if that same channel played 3 minuets of advertising every 15 minuets would you turn the TV over then?
To just name a few of these competitions: Domino's pizza ran a competition to win £1,800 worth of prizes by ordering a pizza online. Buy Kodak film and you could win a trip to Disney land's Animal Kingdom, get a Tesco club card and win £10,000 pounds worth of club card points. Oh and you may as well buy a Transformers DVD and you may win a sports car. As if!
In some respects it is brilliant. What could be better than the chance to win a whole load of money/prizes in a money mad capitalist society in the middle of a recession?
A good chance of winning would be one and those horrible premium rate numbers you often have to phone to find out you are only entitled to win a pen worth… wait for it … not a penny under nothing – promotional pens should be free; at trade shows they are.
The question I am really getting at is the tiny chance of winning something worth paying for? Do you choose to buy something because you may win money? Or does it just attract your attention away from the competitors?
Yet again I must admit I have bought something because of a very similar promotion. One chocolate company was running a competition to win a free chocolate bar. I can recall saving a fortune as it was about every third bar would win. Thus, the competition had a good chance of winning and subsequently made me buy that brand over the competitors.
I can really only conclude that people must enter these crazy odds competitions in the hope of winning something you never seem to hear that anyone wins (though I don't doubt people do). In essence it is just the lottery with a lower prize and significantly. Though I don't enter the lottery as I don't want to win – I'd rather work to get rich than get it for nothing: money on a plate gives no sense of achievement and invites people to be envious as they could have got the money as easily as you.
Finally, In order to sum everything up, I invite good old Abe Lincoln to do the honors:
"What kills a Skunk is the publicity it gives itself"
This Article has been viewed 463 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsGood points Connor, I am one who flipps the channel on every commercial break. Half the time, I don't even know what "they" are trying to sell - for the most part it looks like half naked women and sex, I have no interest in buying either. :-)Nice job. Blessings, TeresaWhat sells and is inside the law will be done.Thanks for the comment.
Hi Connor, What a small world. I just pre-recorded an Internet radio talk show that will broadcast on August 19th, 9pm-10pm EST about winning sweepstakes. Like which one to enter and what to do to win. The guest, from Canada was a nice woman who has a business (website where you can go and she makes it easy to sign up for many free sweepstakes). She also is a marketing consultant. As a matter of fact, she had just won a weekend in London for two. Enjoyed your article! SteveI have never tried any of these sweepstakes. At least they are free.Thanks for the comment.
I think every corner of the world has a little bit something in common and the people the same. Over here, there used to be a Lucky Draw of some sort every now and then at the supermarts or other shopping mall. The more you buy the better chance you win is their trade mark.
Nice topic, Connor !
HildaThanks for the comment.
Connor, nice article. I don't know if it says more about the creativity of advertisers or the state of the public when contests like the ones you listed are successful.Thanks for the comment.
Great points Connor and so true! I can't tell you how much these winning ads have effected my kids. Every day, they will run in and say we have to buy so and so because you can win ? Then if i do buy the product they act so shocked when they didn't win. My four year old honestly believes if i buy it, she wins! horrible world of advertising! thanks for sharing!Advertisers are good at attacking kids as they are not as skeptical. I read about Ofcom (broadcasting regulator) banned adverts that told kids to beg their parents to buy the product and not give up until they got it.Anyway, thanks for the comment.
Love the quote, Connor. All other things being equal, I would buy the product that offers the prize.OK why would that be?
Good article.I don't buy things becaue of gift offers, because I think they're lies, for example: ITV's competitions. What did those lead to? A lot of upset.No, I buy things that I want because I want to.So very true.I see what you mean about ITV - It may be a good thing I don't do these contest.
No doubt you are a young advertiser very enthusiastic about what you do. And, if people accept to "buy" prizes and discounts instead of goods and services, why not keep taking advantage?I know they will do what will sell. I just wonder how and why it works.Anyway, thanks for the comment.I know they will do what will sell. I just wonder how and why it works.Anyway, thanks for the comment.
I hate shopping and hate buying stuff just for the sake of buying stuff (too cheap I guess), so these prizes to buy don't impress me much. But they must work for some or the companies wouldn't be offering them.Very true.Thanks for the comment.
I think it's the old "something for nothing" desire that we all feel, at least at times.Good job here!The other saying is: "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is".Thanks for the comment.
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