Case Study Highlights
- Newspaper generated $75,000 in revenue
- Outlet mall received over 35,000 email addresses
- Due to success, outlet mall continued to run promotions with newspaper
The Idea
The Omaha World Herald, part of BH Media Group, is a 157,000 (Sunday) circulation daily newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska. We have been running online contests for over three years.
NEX Outlets was opening in Omaha and wanted to quickly build up a database of email address and mobile phone numbers, as well as generate a large amount of exposure for their brands before their grand opening. Originally NEX Outlets planned to accomplish this by running a contest on their own. They then realized partnering with a trusted source like the Omaha World-Herald would increase their reach and overall effectiveness of their promotion.
The Execution
We ran a sweepstakes on Omaha.com that gave away a $1,000 shopping spree each week to NEX Outlets for the ten weeks leading up to their grand opening. To enter, readers submitted their email address and a mobile phone number. Each Friday, a winner was selected.
The contest was heavily promoted using an integrated print and online campaign. Half page ads and section fronts as well as run-of-site online ad impressions and e-mail blasts were included in the campaign.
The collaboration between the newsroom and promotions team helped make this promotion a success. When any article covering the outlet mall’s opening was published online, it included a link to the contest’s submission form. The newsroom also helped promote the sweepstakes by posting links to the contest on Facebook.
The Results
The giveaway generated $75,000 in revenue and cash giveaways for the Omaha World-Herald. Over 80,000 total submissions were received over 10 weeks, with about 35,000 coming from new and unique e-mail addresses that NEX Outlets received.
Due to the success of this promotion, NEX Outlets has continued to run promotions with the World-Herald. For example, they were the exclusive sponsor of the following year’s March Fever bracket challenge.
Why it Worked
- NEX Outlets offered a prize that generated enough excitement that readers were willing to give up their contact information.
- The promotion was heavily promoted through an integrated print and online campaign.
- The newsroom and promotions team worked together to make this campaign a success.
The Omaha World-Herald‘s Win $1,000 from NEX Outlets contest won the 2013 Second Street Award for Best Sweepstakes.
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Jamie is the Director of Sales Development and former Manager of Contests and Promotions at BH Media Group. Under her former role, she was responsible for creating and managing promotions and interactive content for over 25 newspaper properties to help drive revenue and audience engagement.