TOP OF THE FORMOne question that I’m regularly asked is “How and where can I find entry forms?” Even more so recently, as many of the supermarkets that used to prove fertile hunting grounds seem to have moved away from having competitions as part of their promotional armoury.
The answer that I always give is to either subscribe to a reliable entry form supplier or, if you prefer to hunt for forms yourself, visit as many stores as you can as often as you can. Check every shelf carefully – with practice, you’ll soon develop an ‘eye’ for a potential EF from a mile away! – and, if you know from posters in-store, or from information in CN or elsewhere that a particular form should be on display, don’t be afraid to ask for it. The harder a form is to find, the lower the entry is likely to be, so don’t be shy. If a particular store is good at putting forms on display, make sure that you give positive feedback to encourage them to carry on. And if a branch is consistently dire, make your feelings known to the manager or head office. In some cases, it might even be worth getting in touch with the promoter of the competition. Supermarkets don’t run comps out of the kindness of their hearts after all, chances are they’re charging a manufacturer a lot of money to run a competition on their behalf, so if a store isn’t keeping its end of the bargain, a promoter will want to hear about it.
You should cast your net as widely as possible in any EF quest. Don’t stop at your nearest Tesco store, for example. Another branch just a couple of extra miles away may be better at displaying forms, or may be on a different rota for running particular types of promotion or hosting demonstration stands on different days. The biggest superstore in your locality may not be as good at displaying forms as, say, the smallest branch in a less desirable part of town. The manager in the small store might be on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder, just starting out with plenty to prove and so keen to impress. Whereas the massive store might be overseen by an area manager who’s hardly ever on site and who has more important things to worry about than a ‘silly’ leaflet. So shop around, and get a feel for the stores that you visit. How are they laid out? Where do EFs tend to be put? At the entrance? With the product? At the end of aisles? And always, if in doubt, never be afraid to ask. Not only might you uncover a rare gem of an EF as a result, but you’re making it known that there ARE people out there who are interested in the competitions that a store runs. And the more interested a store thinks people are, the more comps they’re likely to run in the future.
Always try to get hold of a form as soon as you know it’s out there. Leaflets might only be on display for a certain amount of time, irrespective of the closing date, and in the case of forms handed out at demonstration stands in stores or at exhibitions, might only be in your locality for a day or two at a time. Even forms that do have a longer shelf life might quickly disappear – the form might carry something of interest to a non-comper, a free sample or money-off coupon for example. So snap up the forms as soon as possible, and always make sure that you pick up enough to cover potential multiple entries, mistakes, and even swaps with fellow compers who might be looking for just that form!
If you do prefer to put your faith in an entry form supplier, try to choose one that limits the number of customers. As we all know from personal experience, it can be difficult enough at times to sustain even our own needs. Imagine how hard it would be keeping a few dozen customers happy – now how about a couple of hundred!?! Even the best EF suppliers will have difficulty finding the rarer forms for all of their clients though, so even if you do sign up it’s advisable to go out yourself occasionally to see what you can find.
And for those of you with access to a computer, don’t forget to log on to Chatterbox for a thriving ‘swaps’ forum if you’re still struggling to find a particular form.
Trends come and go in comping. In the 60s and 70s for example, most comps appeared on product packaging rather than on separate forms – and we seem to be seeing a mini return to this at the moment. In most cases, these special packs tend to be more widely available than specific forms, although the down side of this must be that they attract more entries as a result. But there are still some rules to follow when it comes to tracking down special promotional packs. First and foremost, buy them when you see them. They’ll not be around forever. If you need 6 tokens to enter, get all six tokens as quickly as you can – there and then if possible. If your local store, at first glance, doesn’t appear to have any special packs on display, be sure to check the shelves thoroughly. Older or newer stock might be buried away at the back. As distribution methods get more efficient, it’s much easier nowadays for manufacturers to target particular stockists or areas with a special pack, so if your search remains fruitless try to find out more information from CN or Chatterbox. Do you need to look in a particular store, for example, or might packs only be available in a specific region? As with entry forms, the more obscure a pack is to find, the better your chances in the comp are likely to be. So it’s always worth making that extra special effort.
As some of you reading this may know, changes to the law surrounding competitions and prize draws are imminent. New British and European legislation could very well, under a particularly harsh interpretation, sound the death knell for entry forms in individual supermarket chains and could – for reasons I won’t bore you with here – make the ‘on-pack’ option the most sensible and attractive option for promoters keen to take advantage of a new legal definition of ‘no purchase necessary’. So perhaps the trend we’re seeing at the moment is simply a sign of manufacturers staying one step ahead, and is an indication of how comping could well go in the future. We’ll have to wait and see what happens over the coming months and years, but whether an entry form appears on a leaflet or a pack, the fact remains the same. Chances are you won’t be able to enter a competition without it, so make sure it’s in your possession as soon as possible.
SMID’S SPRING COMPETITION
As promised last month, my latest competition is an ‘order of merit’ to test you on whether you paid attention last time! So simply put the following aspects of Compers News in order of importance to someone who has just discovered our great hobby, and is a comping novice. Entries will be judged by a panel, and the first all-correct entry drawn will win a year’s Compers News subscription extension for its sender. If there is no all-correct entry, then the nearest-correct entry will win. There’s an additional 12-months of subscription extensions to be shared out equally between EVERYONE who gets just the top THREE items in the correct order – which’ll work out at a maximum of 12 months and a minimum of 1 month per person, depending on the number of winners – so it’s got to be worth a go!
The closing date for this competition is Friday 15th April 2005. Entries on a postcard or back of a sealed down envelope please to “Smid’s Spring Competition”, PO Box 427, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3WY. Just list the letters relating to each statement in order from top to bottom on your card, and don’t forget your name and address. You must be a current Compers News subscriber to enter, and only one entry per person is allowed.
A. Friendly, helpful advice on all aspects of comping.
B. All types of comp are covered.
C. No photos, no adverts, just pages of competitions.
D. List of prizes won by subscribers, to encourage and inspire.
E. Access to Chatterbox, the friendliest comping forum on the web.
F. Everything you need to know to be able to enter a comp is included.
G. Past winning slogans help you know what judges are looking for.
H. Clear and easy to understand, with a unique glossary on the back cover.
As we move into spring, keep an eye out this month for those short-life Easter promotions, comps on spring cleaning products, and also at DIY centres on garden items, paint and wallpaper etc. We should also start to see an increase in comps generally after the traditionally slow start to the year and this – coupled with people starting to be busy around the house and getting out more as the weather improves – might offer a greater opportunity for you to enjoy some extra success if you are able to make the time and effort to enter a few extra comps. So try your best – and good luck!
Smid x
|
