Make Sure Your Competitions are a Win:Win

Competitions are a fantastic way to generate a buzz around your business and engage with your target audience, and social media prize giveaways in particular can not only help increase your follower numbers but drive traffic to your website. A well-thought-out and creative prize giveaway can be one of the most impactful awareness-generating tools, but have you ever considered the legal implications?

Over the years, there have been a number of situations which have dented the credibility of competitions. From GMTV being exposed for charging callers for a competition they had no chance of winning, through to Red Bull offering a VIP trip that was anything less than VIP, but they’re still ever popular. It does mean that even SMEs have to be whiter than white though – and wrongdoing could severely damage your public perception, and even cost you dearly from a financial perspective.

To help you, we’ve compiled a few of our top tips to ensure your prize giveaways are above board, and there’s happy winners all round :-)

•    Don’t notify winners publicly | If you’re hosting a social media competition, make sure you notify the winner privately. You shouldn’t contact a winner through social media, but instead must make sure that you have an alternative means to contact them, such as by phone or email

•    Act in a socially-responsible way | It may seem obvious, but don’t mislead entrants. Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, claiming to offer a prize or promotion without awarding the prizes as described or reasonable equivalent, is prohibited (and we all know what that means!)

•    Make sure the competition has a ‘free’ option | Unless you want to be navigating the complex maze of gambling law, offer a free route to entry such as via the web

•    Follow the Ts&Cs on social media | If you’re using a social media platform to run your competition such as Facebook or Twitter make sure you follow their rules.

Also, remember to communicate all relevant terms and conditions (which should include a closing date, route to entry, confirmation of exact prize, any restrictions (age, geographical location), details of the promoter and tell people how winners will be notified). These are just a few simple ways to ensure your prize giveaway is fair. Above all – remember to be decent, truthful, honest and legal. Enjoy!