Category: Archives

Why You Should Run a Memorial Day Sweepstakes

Memorial Day is, primarily, a solemn occasion to honor the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. It is a day of reflection and gratitude. Simultaneously, Memorial Day weekend serves as the unofficial kickoff to summer. It’s a time when families take advantage of the long weekend for quick getaways, backyard barbecues, and quality time together. For brands, this creates a unique dual-natured

May 15, 2026

Father’s Day Sweepstakes & Contest Ideas That Drive Engagement

Once the joy and excitement of Mother’s Day has come and gone, everyone is reminded that Father’s Day is not too far behind! And while dads might not always make a big fuss, we all know how meaningful it is to be recognized and appreciated – especially when it comes from the people and brands they love. Father’s Day promotions don’t need to be complicated. The best ones are simple,

May 11, 2026

Sweepstakes Winners: W-9’s and 1099’s

Please see Sweepstakes Winners: W-9’s and 1099’s in 2026 for changes as of January 2026. SVP, Fae Savignano contributed this informative post on what sponsors need to know about filing and processing winner W-9’s and 1099’s for their promotions. Sponsors of Promotion Games of Chance offering and awarding prizes valued at $600 or more should be aware that they are responsible to obtain a signed, legible copy of an IRS

April 30, 2025

Celebrating 20 Years with Marden-Kane Account Director Cheryl Thornton

Happy 20th Anniversary to Marden-Kane Account Director, Cheryl Thornton! Get to know Cheryl below — and make sure you comment with your well wishes in the comments! What was your job title and responsibilities when you were hired? I was hired as an Account Coordinator for Len Bierman, one of the partners of MK at that time. How has your job evolved over the years? The position evolved as I

June 4, 2021

Post-Pandemic Prize Considerations

Things are starting to get back to “normal” as vaccination rates rise and offices reopen at full capacity. Businesses want to get “back to normal,” but what will that look like? And what will your customers’ level of tolerance be for a post-pandemic prize that is awarded as part of a sweepstakes or contest? The types of prizes most coveted by winners may not have changed, but the form or

May 13, 2021

5 Ideas for a Successful Cinco de Mayo Promotion

Cinco do Mayo has become a huge party day in the bar and restaurant business. You can take your party – whether it be in your restaurant or via a takeout box — to the next level with these five ideas for a Cinco de Mayo promotion. 1. Run a Cinco de Mayo Social Sweepstakes or Contest Run a social sweepstakes or contest on Twitter or Instagram for a chance

March 19, 2021

Celebrating 38 Years with Marden-Kane EVP Fae Savignano

Happy 38th Anniversary to Marden-Kane EVP Fae Savignano! Get to know Fae below — and make sure you comment with your well wishes in the comments! What was your job title and what were your responsibilities when you were hired? I was hired as an administrative assistant to Paul Goldman, VP. My responsibilities included basic secretarial duties (answering phones, taking dictation, typing quotes, letters, and invoices) as well as

January 22, 2021

COVID-19 Relief and CCV Programs

Throughout 2020 and into 2021, Marden-Kane has helped clients and non-profits work together for COVID-19 relief in their communities with commercial co-venture programs, also called “CCV Programs.” A CCV program is when a business partners with a non-profit organization to make donations of money, goods, events, products or services to benefit the non-profit’s cause. This type of cause-related marketing is regulated in many U.S. states, and may require that the

January 14, 2021

6 Ways to Market in a Pandemic: Rewriting the Marketing Playbook

As COVID-19 continues to take a toll on businesses worldwide, the way we market our business has had to evolve. We spent some time in 2020 rewriting the marketing playbook and posted a series of articles about how to market using virtual events, social, and more. These six posts continue to be our go-to recommendations for any business trying to market themselves in a pandemic. If you have advice for

January 7, 2021

5 Ideas to Boost Virtual Event Engagement

Since live events have been sidelined for most of 2020, virtual events are having their moment. To keep attendees engaged at virtual events takes lots of preparation and a good plan for virtual event engagement! Here are 5 ways you can boost engagement at your next virtual event: 1. Engagement = Points Towards a Large Sweepstakes Prize Run a Sweepstakes for a chance to win one large prize, like a

October 8, 2020