by Jamie Kinnaird, BH Media Group
Contest builds advertiser’s database by 35,000+ email addresses ahead of grand opening
Case Study Highlights
- Newspaper generated $75,000 in revenue
- Outlet mall received over 35,000 email addresses
- Due to success, outlet mall continued to run promotions with newspaper
The Idea
The Omaha World Herald, part of BH Media Group, is a 157,000 (Sunday) circulation daily newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska. We have been running online contests for over three years.
NEX Outlets was opening in Omaha and wanted to quickly build up a database of email address and mobile phone numbers, as well as generate a large amount of exposure for their brands before their grand opening. Originally NEX Outlets planned to accomplish this by running a contest on their own. They then realized partnering with a trusted source like the Omaha World-Herald would increase their reach and overall effectiveness of their promotion.
The Execution
We ran a sweepstakes on Omaha.com that gave away a $1,000 shopping spree each week to NEX Outlets for the ten weeks leading up to their grand opening. To enter, readers submitted their email address and a mobile phone number. Each Friday, a winner was selected.
The contest was heavily promoted using an integrated print and online campaign. Half page ads and section fronts as well as run-of-site online ad impressions and e-mail blasts were included in the campaign.
The collaboration between the newsroom and promotions team helped make this promotion a success. When any article covering the outlet mall’s opening was published online, it included a link to the contest’s submission form. The newsroom also helped promote the sweepstakes by posting links to the contest on Facebook.
The Results
The giveaway generated $75,000 in revenue and cash giveaways for the Omaha World-Herald. Over 80,000 total submissions were received over 10 weeks, with about 35,000 coming from new and unique e-mail addresses that NEX Outlets received.
Due to the success of this promotion, NEX Outlets has continued to run promotions with the World-Herald. For example, they were the exclusive sponsor of the following year’s March Fever bracket challenge.
Why it Worked
- NEX Outlets offered a prize that generated enough excitement that readers were willing to give up their contact information.
- The promotion was heavily promoted through an integrated print and online campaign.
- The newsroom and promotions team worked together to make this campaign a success.
The Omaha World-Herald‘s Win $1,000 from NEX Outlets contest won the 2013 Second Street Award for Best Sweepstakes.