Category: Administration & Compliance

No Purchase Necessary for Running a Sweepstakes

In the United States, No Purchase Necessary is a term associated with all sweepstakes. Legally, in order to run a sweepstakes you cannot require a purchase in order to enter. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t ask entrants to make a purchase – it just means that anyone entering without purchase must have the same chance as someone entering with purchase. Here are two ways to use a sweepstakes

January 13, 2020

Sweepstakes Rules Generator vs Custom Sweepstakes Rules

The allure of a sweepstakes rules generator is that you can create a set of sweepstakes rules for less money and less time. In fact, back in the day, Marden-Kane had an online sweepstakes rules generator of our own. Clients at that time could easily and cost-effectively create their own sweepstakes rules without legal fees or lengthy review times. The reality, however, was that most of our clients actually

September 19, 2019

What You Need to Know About Using the Tokyo Olympics in Your Advertising and Promotion

The next Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan is now rescheduled for 2021. While the date may have changed, the rules for advertising and promotion using the Tokyo Olympics brand has not. Brands often want to capitalize on the Olympics by offering a promotion or campaign that ties into the Olympics theme, but should not do it. The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), in tandem with the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

July 26, 2019

Avoid Clickbait Tactics to Make Your Social Sweepstakes a Success

Take a look at your social feed right now. Look on any platform — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat — and start scrolling. How long does it take for you to find a post or story or tweet running a “giveaway?” The “giveaway” is everywhere on social. Mommy bloggers, Instagram dogs, major brands, and influencers are all running giveaways. And while the chance to win some swag might be

May 17, 2019

Marijuana Marketing Making Us Dizzy and Confused

This post on marijuana marketing was contributed By Fae Savignano, EVP, Marden-Kane Digital. In the United States the use and possession of marijuana/cannabis is illegal under federal law for any purpose. However, the legalization of marijuana by U.S. jurisdiction (State law) is on a roll! As of this date, the medical use of marijuana (with a doctor’s recommendation) is legal in 33 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut,

April 10, 2019

How to Spot a Sweepstakes Scam

A sweepstakes scam, or poorly run promotion, gives legitimate sweepstakes agencies and promotional marketing companies a bad name. Know what to look for to spot a sweepstakes scam, or a company that runs them. Here is a list of things to look for in a sweepstakes, or game of chance, that you should avoid, or at least be cautious of: 1. Super low odds: Any sweepstakes where there will be

March 13, 2019

Content Moderation: A Requirement for Social Posts and Contests

Content moderation has made the headlines lately as social channels like Facebook and Twitter tried to deal with “fake news” stories and inappropriate content. There is a torrent of video and written content being produced and distributed through the various social platforms, and content moderators work around the clock, deciding what needs to be taken down and what can remain. But what about content moderation for your brand’s social

March 1, 2019

5 Ways to Improve How You Run a Giveaway on Social Channels

Do you want to know how to run a giveaway on social channels, but are looking for how to do it legally and using best practices? Here are 5 things to consider when you run a giveaway. 1. Include rules. While a good many “giveaways” on social do not seem to have a legal set of rules, that doesn’t mean you don’t need them! Official rules are what protect

February 27, 2019

Sweepstakes Email Opt-in Best Practices

The primary purpose of many sweepstakes is to build a brand’s mailing list; having a valid email opt-in on the sweepstakes registration page is imperative to the success of the promotion. If you fail to use best practices when setting up your opt-in, then your ability to email users for the purposes you had in mind may be at risk. Here are 3 things to keep in mind when

February 6, 2019

3 New Year’s Resolutions for a Better Promotional Marketing Plan

As the year winds down, it’s that time again when people start thinking about setting resolutions to make the coming year better than the last one. And while it’s usually personal resolutions that make the headlines, like joining a gym or eating less takeout, it’s also a good time to make some resolutions for your business. This year, why not think about incorporating some simple actions to take your

December 19, 2018