How corporates can harness the power of contests for their brand
In this blog post written by Christopher Horstkamp we look at . Here are a couple of reasons:
Opportunities to gather and share information. They're useful marketing tools for an organization - in that they provide direct messages in an often already saturated communication environment. They attract experts and emerging stars to engage with your organization creating synergies and attracting new creative inputs. But is something bigger being communicated? What does your awards program say about your organisation?
Contests & Corporate Communication
Think in someone else's shoes. What is your reputation within your industry? How do you get people interested in your organization? And then how do you maintain that interest? Your current (and future) investors want to know who you are, what you do, and why you are the organization in which they should rely on. There is a remarkable opportunity for strengthening public relations with your stakeholders. If your contest is public you have the added benefit of creating new communities: contestants and judges.
The contestants will be stakeholders with a very active relationship with your company for the duration of the contest and prospectively afterwards as well. The contestants have a vested interest in maintaining contact and following updates throughout the duration of the contest. Many will stay on a mailing list should there be future contests. This gives you as the contest administrator a unique opportunity to declare your expertise; the contestants will look to your organization in the future as the authority in the industry.
What about the judges? Are you choosing in-house judges? Are you reaching out to the experts in the field? Choosing judges can be an opportunity. If you select judges from outside of your organization, you have begun building and strengthening relationships with other industry leaders. These relationships can grow and develop through future contests or collaborations. Asking for judges not only communicates your openness to collaboration but it also communicates your respect for their knowledge and experience.
"Asking for help creates an atmosphere of empowerment. It communicates to others that, while you may not have the answers, you are willing to find them and make things better." Deborah Serani, Psy.D.
Next week we investigate how companies can use online awards programs to effectively demonstrate core corporate values.
