For the vast majority of French people, summer is synonymous with vacations. It’s a chance to discover new places, recharge your batteries with loved ones, and disconnect. All these parameters can complicate brand communication and cut off contact with their audience.
The good news is that, on average, 83% of French people stay connected. during their vacations, especially via their smartphone. This is a great opportunity for companies to target holidaymakers with campaigns specifically designed for this time of year.
The summer competition, for example, is an ideal way of keeping in touch with customers. during the vacation season. This fun, interactive format gives brands the opportunity to engage their community and stay top of mind until the new school year.
In this article, we explain how to organize a summer competition. What are the objectives you can aim for, the steps involved in creating an engaging campaign, etc.? Read on for practical tips on how to launch effective marketing campaigns.
Why organize a summer competition?
Summer is a complex time for brands. Indeed, it is more difficult to capture the attention of an audience which is generally less present online or in stores. Consumers are also looking for experiences or content that are more in line with the vacation season and typical summer activities (relaxation, discovery, entertainment, etc.).
For brands, taking a vacation is out of the question. While content shared on social networks or email campaigns will certainly be spaced further apart, marketers must maintain contact with their audience. Indeed, there are still plenty of commercial opportunities during the summer, including pre-holiday and vacation shopping and summer activities.
But companies can also continue to animate their audience to stay top of mind. They will then easier to reactivate their customers in the autumn, when they’ll be more available and back to their usual buying patterns.
At a time when marketing is becoming increasingly relational, it is the companies that succeed in creating an affinity with their audience that are the most important. that stand out from the crowd. These are what we call love brands, i.e. brands that have developed an emotional bond with consumers, boosting their commitment and loyalty. But this relationship doesn’t take a vacation in summer. It must continue to be nurtured through formats specifically designed for this period of the year. marketing calendar.
What are the objectives of a summer competition?
Competitions are the ideal way to keep in touch with your customers during the summer months, thanks to their playful nature. Consumers are more sensitive to fun, interactive content, more in line with the relaxed state of mind they adopt on vacation.
For brands, organize a summer contest is also an excellent way of achieving different strategic objectives. In addition to maintaining the link with holidaymakers and not interrupting the relationship that has been built up over the year, marketing games help to :
Highlight a special summer offer …
The brand can also take advantage of the competition to highlight its summer offer, both in terms of shopping and activities before departure and once on site. Generally speaking, consumers tend to reduce their summer shopping budget to take advantage of better accommodation or more activities.
A little help, in the form of a coupon shared via a win-win instant such as Lucky One, can therefore enable brands to boost their sales during the vacations.
Collect customer data
Gamified formats such as quizzes or personality tests are a good way to relax during the vacations. or entertainment on the move. These summer contests therefore enjoy a high participation rate and easily engage users. For companies, it’s an opportunity to collect zero-party data on their customers and better understand their purchasing behavior and preferences. This data can then be used to refine the marketing message and the targeting of customers. back-to-school campaigns.
Generate qualified leads
The fun, interactive format of the competition is also an ideal way to gain visibility during the vacations. The game will naturally release dopamine and the possibility of winning attractive prizes (such as free tickets to an activity or products that you typically slip into your suitcase) will more effectively attract the attention of new prospects.
The company can therefore take advantage of this format to convert new customers. In this way, it will expand its audience during the vacations, will enrich its CRM base and be able to reactivate these qualified leads in the autumn.
Animate your community and generate UGC
Vacation means souvenir photos and selfies. Our natural reflex is to immortalize our travels: an opportunity that brands can take advantage of. It’s an opportunity to encourage your audience to share UGC, i.e. visual content in which they show themselves using the brand’s products or services.
It’s also a great way to animate your community and boost your visibility on social networks (by associating a brand hashtag with the contest, for example).
4 tips for organizing a summer contest
Passons maintenant aux choses sérieuses. For to organize an effective summer contest, we invite you to follow these steps:
- Choose an attractive endowment for vacationers. The key to an impactful summer contest is to choose a prize that will make consumers want to participate. Businesses will be able to leverage coupons to boost their sales (both online and in-store). But they can also offer holiday-related gifts (train tickets, summer items, etc.).
- Choose simple contest mechanics. Summer contests should be fun, no-holds-barred events. That’s why it’s important to define rules for participation and choose interactive mechanisms that everyone can take part in. The instant win feature, for example, is very interesting for this time of year, as participants will immediately know whether they have won or not.
- Define the duration of the contest. The latter should be neither too short (to increase the number of participants) nor too long (to keep the community engaged).
- Optimize your distribution strategy. To begin with, it’s advisable to focus on an attractive visual that will capture your audience’s attention and smell like summer. Broadcasting on social networks remain the best option for boosting reach, as it’s on these channels that consumers remain most active while on vacation. Adding the right hashtags will also help you reach a wider audience.
The summer vacations are a strategic time for your brand. Organizing a competition will help you keep in touch with your customers and prepare for the new school year. Discover our catalog of interactive animations. You can adapt them to your summer theme and strategic objectives. Discover also 10 ideas for summer contests to animate your audience during the vacations.
