Hey Competitions: You’re Not Doing It Right!
December 29th, 2010 by Ernesto Gluecksmann
- Image by DavidDMuir via Flickr
There’s a big problem with online competitions and challenges, they’re not doing it right!
Most of these challenges have quickly become a modern day cliche of cheap marketing and nearly all of them have dropped the ball with a very poorly misplaced focus. Now that the big brands like Pepsi and GE have popularized “competitions” with the C-Level suites, everyone wants one for their organization, and like a virus, the bad versions are spreading. Even our U.S. government has gotten into the game, “by making prizes more attractive” for the Feds.
Bigger money, better competitions, that’s good, right?
Wrong.
There should never be a contest solely focused on reaching a “winner.” Whatever the prizes, whatever the recognition that goes to the winners, that should simply be a small portion of a much larger effort and benefit of working to build a community that intends to help all projects & participants move further along with their goals.
A rising tide lifts all boats. Start there.
I see Pepsi & GE as big offenders in my book. They greased the wheels with some cash and expect everyone else fight over the scraps. Both entities poorly built websites that promote their brands first, and only subsequently thought about the features needed to manage a simple popularity contest.
They both somehow missed the point of building a community of fascinated participants, eager to work and participate on each others projects. These are multinational corporations, putting up millions of dollars in these competitions, and that’s the best they could do? Very disappointing.
Publicity stunts need to die.
Let’s not waste participants’ time and energy in a giant tease. This is not American Idol. If you’re going to build one of these things for your organization, do it right. Make the focus around sharing information and connecting with each other first and foremost, and only then bring in a “challenge” to jump start that process.
Need an example? Africa Rural Connect
