Instant win has an advantage no other mechanic has: the answer comes immediately. You play, and in a second you know if you've won. No waiting, no prize draw six months down the line that you'll have forgotten about.
That's why it works so well. But it's also a mechanic that lends itself to very different uses, from consumer goods to B2B. Here are eight concrete examples, and at the end the rules you need to follow to keep them compliant.
1. The code on the receipt
The classic. The customer buys the product, enters the receipt details online and finds out right away if they've won. The receipt has to be kept: it's the proof of purchase to show in case of a win.
Works for: product launches, shelf rotation, lead generation in consumer goods.
2. The code inside the packaging
The unique code is printed inside the packaging, or under the cap. You play from a website or app. Compared to the receipt it's simpler for the participant, but it requires an agreement with production to print the codes.
Works for: high-purchase-frequency products, where every pack is a new play.
3. The QR code in-store
A sign with a QR code at the point of sale or in the shop window: you scan it, you play, you win a voucher to spend right away. It drives traffic into the store and measures it.
Works for: chains, franchises, new store openings.
4. A play with every reseller order
Here we move into B2B, and it's the most underrated use. Every time the reseller or the wholesaler's salesperson registers an order for your products, they get a play. It turns a repetitive action into a moment of attention for your brand.
Works for: pushing a product line through the distribution network, paired with an incentive program.
5. Instant win on registration
The immediate prize as an incentive to sign up: to a portal, a loyalty program, a newsletter. Whoever registers plays right away.
Works for: growing a qualified database, including professional customers.
6. Quiz plus instant win
First you answer one or more questions about the product, then you play. It combines information with the game: whoever takes part learns something about the product precisely while hoping to win.
Works for: light training of the sales network, launching technical products that need explaining.
7. The advent calendar
One play a day for a set period, like the days before Christmas or a trade fair. It brings people back to the site every day.
Works for: seasonality, events, peak commercial periods.
8. Instant win at a trade fair or event
The visitor scans a code at the stand and plays. It gives them a reason to stop and leave their contact details, and it lets you measure how many visitors actually came by.
Works for: industry trade fairs, roadshows, events with resellers.
What you need to make it compliant
Instant win is to all intents and purposes a prize contest, so it follows the rules of Italian Presidential Decree 430 of 2001. On top of that it has some requirements of its own.
- The award software must be certified. A technical assessment must guarantee that wins are assigned randomly and that the system can't be manipulated.
- Data must sit on servers in Italy, or be replicated in Italy.
- A notary or a chamber of commerce official records the wins and the closing of the contest.
- Prizes not awarded during the instant win are usually put back up for grabs with a final recovery draw; any that remain go to a non-profit organization named in the rules.
- As with any contest: written rules before the start, notification to the Ministry at least 15 days in advance, a deposit equal to the value of the prize pool.
The detail of each step is in our guide on how to organize a legally compliant instant win. For the rules, here's what they must contain, point by point.
The mistake to avoid: instant win without a goal
An instant win almost always generates participation. The risk is that it generates only that: lots of plays, no effect on sales. The difference comes from the question you start with. What does the participant have to do to play? Buy, come back to the store, register an order, learn something about the product? If the action required is the one you want to grow, the instant win works for sales. If not, it's just entertainment.
And if you're not sure instant win is the right mechanic for you, read about the difference between a prize contest and a prize operation.
At SALESTACK we design and manage complete instant win programs: mechanic, rules, ministerial paperwork, certified software and prize delivery. See how we work on contests.