So Adrants announces yesterday that Budget, the car rental company, has launched a blog-based, four-week, 16-city treasure hunt, called Up Your Budget.
Interesting... and I will certainly be watching how this puppy unfolds given that it is apparently being marketed purely via the blogosphere... albeit, the novelty of this gig will likely see it garner some mainstream or trade media somewhere on the planet, I'm sure. And kudos if it does.
I guess the only question mark this campaign raises in my caffeine-starved brain is the level of effort it demands of the participants. Given that I can barely expend 2 minutes on an online survey that I'm actually interested in, and often find it difficult to fill out even a basic registration form for an online promotion, I'm not sure what kind of output these fellas are hoping to achieve... nor whether the target audience they'll be hitting here will be even remotely close to what they're hoping for.
Granted, the prize of $160,000 (or $10,000 per week) is pretty attractive -- and it's in US Dollars!!... the crux, however, is the ROE (and perhaps another E), or in this case 'Return on Effort Expended' to try and score some of this money.
I mean, just read Rules 7,8 and 9, and I think you'll get my drift...
Rule #7
All contestants should look for the treasure responsibly and at your own risk. Do not trespass on private property.
Rule #8
In each city, the final clue is a sticker which will be displayed in a public place. You must call the telephone number on the sticker by 11:59 PM EST to get instructions on how to claim your treasure. If you are the winner in a particular city, you will be contacted within 72 hours after you call the phone number with instructions on how to claim your prize. Do not remove the sticker from its hidden location.
Rule #9
In each city, the first registered contestant to call the phone number for a specific city before 11:59 pm EST Sunday will be the winner for each respective city. The winner must also upload documentation of their find after calling the phone number.
When I read this, I have to wonder does the value of the prize truly match the blood, sweat and potential threat to human life that I need to put into this. Air Canada's recent online promo offered a similarly valued series of trips to places around the globe and all I had to do was tell a few friends about it... now that's my kind of effort.
Keep it simple. Keep it memorable. Up Your Budget certainly does the second. But it's the first, in my view, where the real ROI will occur.