The Impact of Social Media Contests on Brands

Author: Mohammed Zohil P.k

Social media contests can provide an easy way for brands to interact with their followers and engage them on multiple networks, but they can also be dangerous. Bloomberg Businessweek reports on June 6 that one company has learned how contests created on social media platforms can quickly spiral out of control and have unintended consequences.  

Bloomberg Businessweek mentions that the social media contest created by Durex has led the company to abandon the Facebook page created for the competition. The contest let fans vote for the next city to receive the SOS condoms program that allows couples to order protection using their smartphones. The company did not expect them to pick Batman, Turkey, a conservative Muslim city. Although the superhero name of the location obviously played an important role for Facebook fans, this has not stopped criticism from social media experts and an embarrassing situation that highlights how pranks can blemish a brand image. The company could have easily prevented this by setting better parameters for its contest.  

Although social media competitions can be dangerous, there are examples of brands and organizations that are using them successfully. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the organization responsible for an annual fashion show in New York, recently hosted a successful Instagram contest to give away free tickets to the event. Mavatar, an online comparison shopping and deals platform, turned to Pinterest to host several contests and give away popular free discount codes to shoppers. Alp Sport, a winter items store, used Facebook for a video contest to give its fans a new camera. All of these examples had a positive impact on the brands while growing their follower bases. Social networks can be effective tools for contests if brands spend enough time preparing for them and can predict potential pitfalls.

Social media engagement continues to be a top strategy for many companies. A recent SEO hosting blog mentions that more companies are integrating social media into their strategies as they attempt to fight Penguin 2.0 and previous search changes. Contests can help increase follower engagement and promote brand names.