Holiday Sweeps Brings in $24K & Hundreds of Leads

Case Study Highlights

• $24,000 revenue for stations
• Thousands of opt-ins for station newsletters
• Hundreds of qualified leads for sponsors
• Hundreds of opt-ins for sponsors

The Idea

The sales teams at KRTV-TV and KXLH-TV, two sister television stations in Helena, MT, were looking for a way to drive new and incremental business in the upcoming holiday season. They wanted a way to bring in non-traditional advertisers who weren’t spending with the stations throughout the year and create a multi-advertiser contest that would still deliver big results and value to each individual advertiser.

The Execution

The 12 Days of Giveaways seemed like a perfect fit for the stations. During the holiday season, everyone is looking for a way to save money, so offering the opportunity to win a great gift was sure to bring in a large crowd. To maximize the prize possibilities for the viewers (and revenue for the stations!) each station created their own 12 Days contest – that’s 24 sponsors providing 24 fantastic holiday prizes.

The 12-day contest would feature a new sweepstakes daily. To encourage participation, participants could get extra chances to win based on sharing the contest with their friends and family – a great way to help make the contest go viral.

The stations’ sales teams were able to lock in 24 unique sponsors at an investment of $1,000, plus the value of their prizes. To provide maximum value to each participating business, the stations included custom survey questions, an email opt-in, and a thank-you email with special offer for each sponsor.

• Total Nutrition & Tanning
  • Survey Questions
  • Do you know the benefits of tanning? Yes, No
  • Are you currently supplementing with any of the following? Protein Powder, BCAA’s, Creatine, Preworkout, Other, None
  • Are you currently following us on social media? Yes, No
  • Opt-In
  • Yes, I would like to receive VIP e-mails from Total Nutrition and Tanning!
  • Thank-You Offer
  • 1 free tan

• C.M. Russell Museum
  • Survey Questions
  • Have you ever been to the C.M. Russell Museum? Yes, No
  • Charlie’s Friends embraces the C.M. Russell Museum as a gathering place to socialize, make connections, and a variety of events! What area interests you most? Social Events, The Russell Exhibition and Sale, Docents (museum guide), Exhibitions, Educational Programming, Marketing, Facilities, Other
  • Opt-In
  • Yes, I would like to receive VIP e-mails from C.M. Russell Museum!
  • Thank-You Offer
  • 50% off Admission

• Dragonfly Dry Goods
  • Survey Questions
  • What would you like most for Dragonfly Dry Goods to add? More open hours, A loyalty rewards app, More online shopping
  • What is your favorite thing at Dragonfly? Gift items & decor, Shoe selection, Clothing options
  • What is your favorite brand at Dragonfly Dry Goods? WoodWick Candles, Brighton, CC Hats, Birkenstocks
  • Opt-In
  • Yes, I would like to receive VIP e-mails from Dragonfly Dry Goods!
  • Thank-You Offer
  • Free candle

• Reference Audio Video
  • Survey Questions
  • Have you made a purchase from Reference Audio Video before? If so, when? No, 1 Year or Less, 1-2 Years, Over 2 Years
  • Have you purchased a remote start for a vehicle before? Where from? Reference Audio Video, Sound Pro/Good Vibrations, Auto Trim Design, No/Other
  • Would you be more likely to purchase aftermarket equipment on your next vehicle if it could be added to your dealer financing? No – stock only, Yes – depending on price, Yes – it would be a deciding factor on my purchase
  • Opt-In
  • Yes, I would like to receive VIP e-mails from Dragonfly Dry Goods!
  • Thank-You Offer
  • $25 off remote start purchase with installation

• A Healthy Horizon
  • Survey Questions
  • Have you ever spoken with a healthcare professional about your nutritional needs? Yes, No
  • Do you have any ongoing health issues and wonder if there are natural solutions that truly work? Yes, No
  • Do you shop in the organic section of the grocery store? Yes, No
  • Do you drink Kombucha? Yes, No
  • Opt-In
  • Yes, I would like to receive VIP e-mails from A Healthy Horizon!
  • Thank-You Offer
  • 20% off any item

• Kaufmans Menswear Center
  • Survey Questions
  • How often do you wear a sport coat or suit? Every Week, Once a Month, Once a Year, Twice a Year
  • When do you dress up? Work, Socializing, Special Events
  • Where do you buy your Men’s clothing? Local, Out of Town, Online
  • Opt-In
  • Yes, I would like to receive VIP e-mails from Kaufmans Menswear Center!
  • Thank-You Offer
  • 10% off any purchase

• Feather Your Nest Antique Store
  • Survey Questions
  • Have you heard about Feather Your Nest’s new Coffee Shop and Bistro? Yes, No
  • Did you know Feather Your Nest has a wide arrange of item products for everyone on your shopping list? Yes, No
  • Is it important to you to shop local? Yes, No
  • Do you mostly shop online, out of town, or local? Online, Out of Town, Local
  • Opt-In
  • Yes, I would like to receive VIP e-mails from Feather Your Nest!
  • Thank-You Offer
  • 50% off any beverage

To maximize the results of the sweepstakes, the station had a heavy promotional campaign. The core of their marketing efforts relied on email. Both stations sent an announcement email to kickoff the start of the contest. Additional emails were sent daily announcing the featured advertiser, their daily prize, and when to catch them live on-air.

Turning this into a major station initiative, the contest was featured on-air where station hosts would talk about the prize from the previous day and the prize viewers could enter to win that day. In addition, they leveraged social media to promote the contest each day.

The Results

Running just 12 days, these sweepstakes brought in $24,000 total revenue for KRTV and KXLH as well as over 24,000 entrants. Plus, the stations were able to add thousands of email opt-ins to their multiple newsletter databases.

The sponsors were thrilled with their own results as well. Every sponsor left the contest with hundreds of hot leads and hundreds of new addresses to add to their own email databases. And with the addition of the thank-you email offer, sponsors were getting tons of foot traffic to their businesses during the holiday season, just when they wanted it most.

The contest was such a huge success, the stations are planning to double down on the opportunity next year by offering 24 days of sweepstakes in both markets with the hopes of doubling their revenue and engagement.