giveaways are futile

Let me preface this by saying that I might be wrong. Often, I am wrong. In our house, it's ok to be wrong as long as you keep your mind open to debate, are willing to hear out rational opinions from others and can adjust your opinion when necessary. Being wrong isn't a sign of failure in our home, it's simply an opportunity to improve.

I have no marketing degree or formal research on this topic. I do have a masters degree with a focus in business strategy, and I have an enthusiasm for reading literature on marketing psychology. This is an opinion piece. I do have plenty of those.

I'm certain I'll ruffle a few feathers over this one. It's been nagging me for a while now, but it irked me enough that I tweeted last night to the eight or so people who subscribe to my feed. It's still unsettling this morning, so I felt it was time for a blog post.

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Giveaways are Futile
the decline of marketing value of sponsored blog giveaways

The free fabric she won has cost you money. The bundle of books on his shelf came from your pocket. You, as a shopper, are paying the price for ineffectual ad campaigns that have polluted your blog reader and made you the bear the brunt of not-so-subtle advertising. Sponsored blog giveaways cost you money and are generally ineffectual in their modern incarnation.

Somebody has to pay for them. I suggest that it's you, the consumer, bearing the cost. A few years back, I may not have made this argument as the sponsored blog giveaways were less prolific. Due to their scarcity, they were an effective substitute for traditional marketing. The idea that the prizes had come from the marketing budget proved to be a worthwhile expenditure for many companies. Bear in mind that the marketing budget ultimately comes from you, the consumer.

As the number of giveaways has skyrocketed to exponential proportions, I'd suggest their effectiveness has diminished. I'd suggest that more often than not, you fail to remember if that $50 voucher came from Green Bean Textiles, Go Sew Big or Make and Cut*. Everyday, I see a barrage of giveaways posted, tweeted, retweeted, facebooked and generally bombarding me in every social media outlet. Often, I do not remember the brands being promoted. When I do, it's usually because I am already familiar with the shop or product.

This inundation does not drive me to buy products. In fact, it leaves me cold. Rather than associating a brand with something positive, I find myself fed up. I get agitated. I get annoyed. This is particularly true for blog-sponsored giveaways that encourage news of the giveaways to be spread via multiple social media channels as an effort to further promotion. Seeing the same giveaway posted 63 times does not make me want to buy your product. It makes me want to gouge my eyes out so that I don't have to read your drivel again.

On those occasions that you do remember a sponsor long after the giveaway is over, I propose that your brain creates a subconscious negative association. There is a probably a PhD thesis about this very topic; if not, there should be. My premise, though completely unresearched or backed by scientific data, is that having 100 or 1000 people who associate your brand with loss is not a good thing. It's wasted marketing money that could be better spent.

In my personal experience, I do associate negatively with certain brands for this very reason. This is particularly true with contests of skill when I believe the best entry was not selected. By contests of skill, I mean those sponsored giveaways when a company asks you to submit a project or a 25 word phrase from which the winner is selected. If these contests of skill choose what I deem is an unworthy winner, I will proactively avoid shopping with that particular sponsor. Rest assured, I rarely think my own entry is the best. My negative correlation isn't just that I lost, it's because someone deserving did not win. While I could get into the distinctions between sponsor selected winners and crowd voting, that's a bigger topic that merits a blog post of it's own.

While they were an effective tool of the past, the proliferation of sponsored blog giveaways no longer renders them useful. The prizes cost money which ultimately comes from the pockets of the consumer. With that in mind, I call on those who are willing to host them to stop and reconsider their impact. Recognize that you're being used as a tool of a larger corporation. Celebrate that your readers come to your blog; not because you give them prizes, but because you have something interesting to say. Relish that your readers are there for your stunning photography, inspirational decor or unique sketches. Whatever your talents, whatever your dreams; your readers connect. Embrace these connections. Shun the commercialization. Take back your blog and be you.





*these shop names are made up and any resemblance to actual shops is simply coincidence