A workplace tournament sweepstake is undeniably some of the most fun you can have with your workmates.
Minimal effort, minimal buy-in, maximum bragging rights.
A new B2B app allows businesses to sports-pick outside the immediate workplace, with a view to “cut through the clutter” and inspire commitment from customers who are inundated with deals.
The new app from Auckland agency bka Interactive lets businesses connect with their clients through a competition platform, sweepstaking almost any sport and getting their clients in on the fun.
Go Team allows a business to set up a sports sweepstake online under its own branding. The business hosting the sweepstake provides the prizes, invites the users, and then has branding splashed all over the app.
The app has been nearly three years in development, and was soft launched earlier this year with Super Rugby 2014.
Some of the app’s first clients include TAB, Resene and Ray White.
Automotive brand Repco has also been one of the first companies to use the platform.
Repco New Zealand marketing manager Emma Cleal says while the company, which has 91 branches throughout New Zealand, has a lot of promotions on the go at once, this one has been particularly good.
“To give you an example, one of our sales reps said it was simply the best thing we’d ever done in the promo area,” she says.
She says the company has found it to be a fresh way of engaging clients.
“It’s enabled us to bundle trade customers and staff together and get them interacting in a different and fun way so clients are engaged in conversation rather than just being sold to,” Repco New Zealand Marketing Manager Emma Cleal says.
She says it was particularly effective for the Repco brand, because its clients enjoy sport.
“We’re in a blokes’ business and blokes like cars and sport, and we quickly built a database of more than 800 competitors,” Cleal says.
Repco customer Craig Wright from Cartune Ponsonby says the tipping competition was not only enjoyable but also a great way to further build our relationship with the team from Repco.
“Checking the leaderboard on Mondays was great fun and full of anticipation. I certainly hope they run it again next year.”
The size and cost of the app depends on the business, bka Interactive general manager Steve Allison says.
“[Cost] varies depending on the size of the competition, number of players, support services etc.
“[The amount of users] varies on the company and industry type. We have some companies with just 50 high-value customers and others with literally tens of thousands. Regardless of scale, we have mechanisms and strategies to enable engagement and customer intimacy,” he says.
As the app is a New Zealand Rugby Union sponsored product, in the case of rugby, Go Team allows the user company to have a legitimate association with the tournament, Allison says.
“It allows the company’s competition to be fully branded alongside these properties,” he says, but notes that this should not be confused with sponsorship.
Allison says apps like Go Team are the future of staff and customer engagement.
“The tradition of the rugby sweep goes back generations and supports the premise that sports picking is the most fun way to engage with the people. Go Team is where the sweep and digital meet.”
A wee tip for the brand running the sweepstake: offer good prizes.
“It also helped that Repco was generous with the rewards aspects of the programme offering a range of weekly spot prizes as well as some impressive major prizes such as iPads and Weber barbecues,” Allison says.