Fun Stuff

Promos That Do Not Work

This promo encourages you to vote for your favorite movie and then rewards you with a free ticket to see it again!

If you have already seen it [how else can you honestly vote it as your favorite movie?], then the incentive to see it again is low — and therefore the incentive to participate in the contest is low. OK, unless it is one of the TWILIGHT saga which, if I understand correctly, some [female of the species] have viewed MANY times, and would not mind viewing one more time.

Or, unless you vote for the movie that you have not seen yet but would like to so that if you do win the free ticket, then it’s a free ticket…

I have a feeling that the sponsor does not really care one way or another and just want you to participate. Or me to write this article: free advert!

This promo is similar to digital camera contests that require you to submit photos taken with a certain camera and then win that same camera as a prize. Doesn’t make much sense. If I already have that camera, why bother? OK, to have a second one as a back up, to give to a family member, to sell on eBay, whatever, but it still does not make sense. Strikes me more as a ploy to get people to buy the camera so they can take part in the contest so they can win that camera, and then return the one they bought so in effect they have the camera for free. Kapish?

Or contests that you have to pay to participate in, books that you have to buy to see your photos published in [a scam, pure and simple, so avoid], and review sites and tutorials that you have to pay for when there are numerous free (and excellent) ones that people have shared on the Web.