Consumer Passion

Last Call for Coca-Cola Brand Fan Contest Entries

My contest (hosted by Brick and Click Consulting) is winding down, and today's the day to put aside a few minutes, put your creative cap on and come up with a brand idea, slogan, jingle, poem ... just about anything related to Coca-Cola or one of its products you can dream of.  Simply register at OceanOfIdeas.com, look for the confirmation e-mail, click the link, then submit your entry.  You can add a picture, document or video link, or make it very simple and do a 'roses are red' type poem (I did a sample one).  It's all about a little fun in your week and some creative 'consumer generated idea generation'.  It's also a geat opportunity to showcase your talents.  You never know who might be taking a peek, like the folks at Coke headquarters in Atlanta (you need to visit their blog, a nostalgic trip down memory lane each day, chock full of Americana: Coca-Cola Conversations).

Check a previous post for details on the prizes I'm offering.  Grand Prize winner gets some great Coke gear, months worth of carbonated beverages, and a Webforce Open Innovation platform license (the platform the contest is on), worth about $6,000.  Six grand.  Your own consumer generated idea platform to play with or integrate into your business as you choose. Two runners up will receive some cool gear, beverages and a Premium Open Innovation Challenge on Fellowforce.com's global crowdsourcing platform (value $495). 

If a minimum number of entries is not reached (details at OceanOfIdeas.com), the contest may be extended one more week.  Voting will extend several days beyond the deadline for contest submissions.  You're encouraged to spread the word about this (and your entry!) to your social networks and friends and family.  Folks can register and vote even if they don't have an entry submission.  Thanks for playing along with my Social Media/Open Innovation contest ... it's a small way for me to share some of the wonderful experience I enjoyed in Atlanta recently as the winner of Coke's 'Experiencing Coca-Cola Sweepstakes'.  You don't have to love Coke as much as I do to enter the contest.  But hey, why not enter the Coke contest and a have a asmile today :-)

Coca-Cola Brand Fan Consumer Contest Update (more prizes!)

A quick update on my Coca-Cola Brand Fan Contest, being held at OceanOfIdeas.com (the other URL I originally gave, TwitFizz.com, works as well).  Due to the unexpected arrival of a new goodie package from a friend at Coca-Cola, and the fact I had some server issues over the weekend, the contest is being extended one week, until Wednesday December 5th.  I also want to 'get the word out' (your help in that is EXTREMELY APPRECIATED) and give everyone enough time to cook up up a creative entry, since it's your chance to impress the community and some folks at Coke with your sparkly genius.  This is not an official Coke contest.  It's hosted by me (Brick and Click Consulting's Jeff Crites).  But my three days in Atlanta - courtesy of Coke and my Experiencing Coca-Cola Sweepstakes win - introduced me to a fantastic and friendly group of folks who work at Coke HQ.  Some of them operate the Coca-Cola Conversations blog (you're highly encouraged to add it to your daily reading).  All of them are now considered friends (they treated us like family), and I know they're taking a peek at this contest ... and I'm also asking several of them to vote for their favorite entry. 

The Grand Prize winner gets:  a Coke Canvass bag (declared the 'coolest bag ever' by my wife), Coke red scarf, Coke red winter cap, Coke journal, Coke bottle from their Veterans Day celebration at Coke HQ, Coke Mardi Gras beads and six cases of Coca-Cola carbonated products.  Plus:  a Free Webforce 2.1 Consumer Co-Creation & Feedback Engine  license from Fellowforce.com (it's the platform the contest is being hosted on), worth $5,000 Euro or about $6,200 USD. 

The Webforce application can be loaded on a hosting service of your choice at no cost - something like Meta Fusion is recommended (you're responsible for the hosting service & fees).  Integrating Webforce into a company's existing IT/server infrastructure may require a 'load fee'.  My goal is to keep this all at 'zero cost' to any winner. 

First Runner up (2nd prize) gets a long sleeve Coke T-shirt, collapsable Coke six-pack cooler and four cases of Coca-Cola carbonated beverages (coupons for the beverages).

Second Runner up (3rd prize) gets a cool 'sling-style' sports backpack (with padded laptop sleeve) and four cases of Coca-Cola carbonated beverages. 

PLUS:  Both runners-up receive a Premium Open Innovation Challenge on the Fellowforce.com global Challenge Board (value $495).  Posting an Open Innovation Challenge is a great way to reach a global pool of consumers for innovative ideas and solutions.  You can use this to solicit ideas for just about anything ... and it's a great marketing tool as well.

All you need to do is go to OceanOfIdeas.com, Register (very quick, just name, username, age, e-mail), dream up a creative slogan, poem, jingle, brand or marketing idea relating to Coca-Cola or one of its many products, and enter (follow directions at the site).  You can spend fifteen minutes or as much time as you want on this.  Remember to ask your friends and network to enter and vote as well.  If people don't want to submit an entry, they can register and vote for their favorite (yours?). 

I wanted to do something that would share a bit of my experience at Coca-Cola with everyone, and tap the viral and empowering nature of social media and Open Innovation.  You may not be obsessed with Coca-Cola as much as I am, but enter this contest and show your 'brand creativity'.  In addition to a chance at some great prizes, you'll have an opportunity to showcase your 'personal brand/expertise' for all to see.  Good luck!  

The Social Media/Twitter-Powered Brand Fan Consumer Contest: Get Creative About Coca-Cola, Win Stuff

I recently returned from a magical three day journey to the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, having won the Experiencing Coca-Cola Sweepstakes via MyCokerewards.com.  Some of my spoils:  two nights hotel accomodations overlooking Olympic Centennial Park, chauffeur driven tour of the city, VIP tour of the Coke HQ (including a rare peek inside Coke's Archives where they keep brand item dating back to the 19th century), lunch with Coke employees, dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, breakfast at Ruth's Chris, VIP tour of the World of Coca-Cola, a huge duffle bag full of wonderful Coke stuff and a year's supply of soda.  

I'll have a detailed post about my time at Coke.  Suffice it to say it was a passionate consumer's dream come true, pushing the admiration and brand love I had for Coke to atmospheric levels (the picture is one of dozens of very large Coke inspired pieces of art from various countries at the Atlanta HQ).  It also inspired me to host a social media  contest, combining Twitter, this blog and an Open Innovation platform to see what kind of creative brand love others might have for Coke, and also see what can happen in a very short period of time if you put your mind - and the right tools - to good use.  

You're invited to play along in my Brand Fan Contest.  Go to TwitFizz.com, a consumer feedback-co-creation platform I customized in about a half day for this contest.  It's powered by Fellowforce.com's Webforce Consumer Feedback & Co-Creation Engine, an off-the-shelf Open Innovaton product that can be customized to act as a Dell IdeaStorm-like platform for any business, government or organization.  My goal was to take this contest from idea to creation and launch in one day, which I have.  Ultimately, my hope is to show how new platforms that connect people and their ideas can be energized by the viral explosiveness of a social media channel like Twitter.  This entire contest - and social media marketing experiment - will last about ten days **(UPDATE: Nov. 19 Contest extended due to more prizes being added)** from idea to creation to launch to the finish line.  All you need to do is to go to Twitfizz, register, and submit a creative entry.  What kind of entry?  Glad you asked.  

The full name of the contest is the Coca-Cola Talent, Jingle, Slogan, Poetry and Brand Idea Challenge.  The rules are fairly loose:  impress the community with an original slogan, poetry piece (Coke cans are red, etc), jingle (a video link to yourself singing, sure), marketing idea or just about any talent + Coke + idea thing you can muster. You don't have to love Coke as much as I do, but it has to mention or be about Coca-Cola or any of its products.  It has to be tasteful, brand positive and G-rated.  This contest is not sanctioned by Coca-Cola, but we are very friendly, and I'll be passing the results to Coke officials I've met.  The Grand Prize entry with the most votes will win a Coca-Cola winter cap and scarf (red, handsome, from their Recycled line), a Coca-Cola Journal, six cases of Coke product (pictured) AND (Nov 19th update):  A FREE Webforce Consumer Co-creation & Feedback application license worth more than $6,000!! (some integration fees may apply, see details at TwitFizz.com).  Two runners-up will receive four cases of Coca-Cola related carbonated product AND (Nove 19th add):  a FREE Premium Open Innovation Challenge on Fellowforce.com's global crowdsourcing platform ($495 value!)  

The contest will end on Wednesday, Nov 26th (may be extended if more prizes appear, or a minimum number of entries has not been met). It's all about having a good time, impressing the community (and hopefully Coke!) with your creativity, and showcasing the viral power and brand/consumer connective possibilities of Social Media and Open Innovation.  I'm asking friends on Twitter especially to help spread the word.  Submitting a Twitter-length entry (140 characters or less) is encouraged, so you can Tweet it to your network over and over and over. Inviting friends to register and check out your entry and vote is encouraged. I want to mention one of my favorite blogs, CopyBlogger, which hosted it's second Writing Contest that utilizes Twitter (entries must be 140 characters or less).  I entered the first writing contest, which was a hoot, and it helped inspire me to host a contest of my own. 

Complete rules for the Brand Fan Contest are at Twitfizz.com.  You'll see a couple of my sample entries (I can't win my own contest).  You can vote for as many entries as you want, but the platform will only allow you to vote 'once per entry'.  Please check out the other entries, vote for good ones and leave comments if you'd like.   This is an UNOFFICIAL contest, conceived and launched in one day, inspired by my Coke Sweepstake trip ... and I'd like to pass some of that experience and loot to others.  Check back for updates here and on my Twitter page.  I'll also be doing mobile podcast updates via Utterli and connecting with folks via Linkedin and Facebook as well.  

I can't say enough about the wonderful people I met at the Coke HQ in Atlanta.  They treated my wife and I like family.  They're the classiest, friendliest and most generous bunch you'd ever have the pleasure to meet, and I'll always have the fondest memories of my time in Atlanta thanks to Mike, Carlos, Adam, Helen, HB and others.  I encourage everyone to stop by their fabulous blog, Coca-Cola Conversations, which taps into the magical (and bottomless) treasure trove of Coke advertising, memorabilia, artwork, products and historical items.  

Good luck in the contest (and tell your friends to register and vote!).

Jeff 

**** UPDATES*****

Monday, Nov. 17th, 10:30am ET:   I just added the journal to the Grand Prize pot. 

Wednesday, Nov. 19th, 3:40pm ET:  I just added significant Open Innovation prizes, including the $6,000 Webforce license to the Grand Prize. Also, the contest has been extended until Wednesday, November 26th at 9pm ET.  Additional Coke gear will be added as well, thanks for a friend at Coke HQ.  As soon as I find out what is coming, I'll add it to the pot. 

Last Day to Enter American Solutions 'Free Gas For a Year' Video Contest

Newt Gingrich's group, American Solutions, is hosting a consumer generated video contest based on the organizations's 'Drill Here, Drill Now' campaign to lower energy prices and lessen U.S. dependence on foriegn oil.  Whip up a creative video and get it in fast.  Deadline is today, and you might win free gas for a year. Details here.

Your Duct Tape Story Could Win Five Grand

For the second year in a row, the Duck brand of duct tape is sponsoring a 'Saves The Day' promotion, awarding the person with the best story of how duct tape 'saved the day' $5,000 and a year's supply of Duck® brand duct tape.  Not sure how much duct tape the average person uses in a year, but five grand is five grand.

In 2007, more than 2,650 stories were entered from the U.S. and Canada, stories ranging from creating a makeshift nest to saving a family of birds to making emergency car repairs on a first date.  Emphasis will be put on creativity and original use of duct tape to 'save the day'.  In addition to the first place prize, ten additional winners will be chosen at random, receiving  $500 as well as a year's supply of tape.

If you're passionate about duct tape - and really, who hasn't been grateful for this sticky stuff of wonder - get your creative juices flowing and go to DuckTapeSavesTheDay.com for the skinny on rules and such.  The contest kicked off the first of July, and runs through the end of October.  The Duck brand of duct tape is made by Henkel, which has been around for about 130 years.  More info at DuckProducts.com.

Cheerios Kicks off next Spoonful of Stories Children's Book Contest

The second Spoonful of Stories contest is officially underway, and Cheerios is inviting would-be authors to submit children's book manuscripts from now until July 15th.  Book entries should aim for the 4-8 year old market.  Cash prizes will go to up to three winners, with the top writer getting his/her book evaluated by  Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for a potential book deal.

Last year, Cheerios received close to 1,000 entries, with Nashville's Shellie Braeuner named the grand prize winner.  In addition to her $5,000 prize, Braeuner snagged a book deal.  Her winning story, The Great Dog Wash, will be printed and available in Cheerios boxes in the spring of 2009.  A hardcover version will hit bookshelves in the summer of 2009.  If you're interested, go to Spoonfulofstoriescontest.com for full details and contest rules.

43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest Grand Prize Winner Nets Cool Million

Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, Maryland apparently bakes a mean batch of cookies.  Double Delight Peanut Butter cookies to be exact, crisp on the outside, soft in the center ... and tasty enough to put Gurtz atop the other 99 finalists in Pillsbury's 43rd Bake-Off contest (first was in 1949). 

Gurtz was crowned the grand prize winner Tuesday in a ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas.  Judges sampled various baked goods whipped up by the 100 finalists on Monday, and final judging took place yesterday.  Gurtz's total take:  $1,005,000 plus a GE Profile Double Oven.  The additional five grand came from a Jif Peanut Butter Award.

According to a Style article in today's Washington Post, Gurtz has submitted entires in the Pillsbury contest for 15 years.  Her Fiesta Pie, Devil Delight Bites and Very Berry Muffins paved the way for this year's peanut butter cookie smash hit.  The Post attributes the big win to Gurtz, a homemaker, "thinking like a marketer" as well as a chef.  In addition to "reliability" (every time you make them, claims Gurtz, they come out the same), the cookies were chock full of products made by sponsors of the contest:  Pillsbury cookie dough, Jif peanut butter, FIsher peanuts, and both Domino and C&H sugar.  Smart cookie, that Mrs. Gurtz.

Chick-fil-A Decides Winner of Biggest Fan Contest

I haven't located a press release yet, so I'm guessing Chick-fil-a will put one out on Monday announcing the winner of its Biggest Fan video contest.  Unless they totally miss the PR boat on this one.  The grand prize winner and nine finalists are posted at Chick-fil-a.com/biggestfan, so you can go there and check out the minute long videos.  There aren't much in the way of details at this point, aside from the ten videos, and a brief description of each.  No names, hometowns, etc.  CFanatics!, a video entry featuring twins Rachel and Melanie (no last names), is the big winner.  So the bubbly sisters will receive coupons good for one Chick-fil-A combo meal per week for 40 months, a trip to Atlanta to tour Chick-fil-A's corporate headquarters,  Chick-fil-A T-shirts, Cow Calendars and 36 inch Chick-fil-A Plush Cows.  Congrats!

Chick-fil-a says the entries were judged on a number of factors, including the number of internet votes received (voting ended January 29th), overall quality, appearance, creativity, originality, skill, and content.  The nine finalists get food for a year, a T-shirt, calendar and plush cow.  And everyone who submitted a video gets a free meal and plush cow.

I watched the ten top videos, and I have to be honest ... I was underwhelmed.  Several were below average, even giving slack for user generated content.  One of the videos I checked out more than a month ago, a top vote getter at the time, didn't make the final cut, and it was far better than most of the finalists.  Perhaps the internet voting was gamed better by some (Ron Paul fans involved?).  The grand prize winners' video has audio issues, but they offer a solid 'biggest fan' case by showing how Chick-fil-A has been a huge part of their lives for two decades, since they were four years old.  One finalist used a helipcopter, so a tip of the hat to that guy for going all out.  I'll post again when I get more info.

Oh, and lest I forget, I'm planning on covering the grand opening of a Chick-fil-A in my hometown (Warrenton, VA) sometime in March.  I have a crazy and hopefully brillian idea ... to 'live vlog' the event.  I want to stream live video interviews of cow gear wearing people camping out a day in advance. Stay tuned ...

Today's your last chance to vote in Chick-fil-A Biggest Fan Contest

Chick-fil-A's Biggest Fan video contest draws to a voting conclusion at 11:59:59 PM ET tonight.  The contest accepted one minute consumer-generated videos from November 13th 2007 until January 15th of this year, and an extra two weeks was given for voting. There are some hilarious, creative entries, the basic challenge to each entrant:  tell/show why you're Chic-fil-A's 'biggest fan'.  To check them out and vote, go to Chick-fil-a.com.

After the voting period ends, the top ten videos (Finalists) will be chosen by an internal review panel.  The Panel will also select one Finalist as the Grand Prize Winner.  These selections will be made on or about February 5th.  Factors in the deciding process include: the number of Internet votes received, overall quality, appearance, creativity, originality, skill, and content.  The grand prize winner gets coupons good for one Chick-fil-A combo meal per week for 40 months, a trip for two to Atlanta, GA to tour the Chick-fil-A corporate headquarters, a Chick-fil-A T-shirt, 2008 Cow Calendar and a 36 inch Chick-fil-A Plush Cow.  Finalists get food for a year, a T-shirt, the calendar and plush cow.  And everyone who took the time and creative energy to submit a video will get a free meal and plush cow.  Last call ... get those votes in. 

Nashville resident wins Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Children's Book Contest

Congrats to Shellie Brauner, who's story The Great Dog Wash takes the grand prize in Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Chilren's Book Contest, a yearly contest that unearths new children's book authors.  Bruaner, a Nashville, Tennessee resident who works as a nanny for a family with four children, was washing the family dog when the idea hit for her story.

Cheerios received nearly 1,000 stories in the contest, which ran from early June through September 7.  Entries were judged on appropriate story/content for kids ages 4 to 8; emotional connection; writing quality; uniqueness; and read-aloud potential.  As 'top dog', the 42 year old Braeuner gets  $5,000 cash, and her story published by Simon & Schuster. (that's her and the story's inspiration, Fluffy, in the pic)  The Great Dog Wash will launch in paperback form inside Cherios boxes in spring 2009, and in hardcover a few months later.  Two first prize winners were also named, each receiving  $1,000: Kate Heilman, 35, of Chicago, for her story, Theo the T-Rex: The Most Terrible Dinosaur in the Neighborhood, and Alison Anderson, 33, of Cumberland, Wisconsin, for Sleepy Song.

We developed the book contest to inspire and support new children’s book authors,” said Ricardo Fernandez, marketing manager for Cheerios. "For the last six years, through our Spoonfuls of Stories program, Cheerios has given away more than 30 million children’s books free inside cereal boxes, and donated more than $2.5 million to the nonprofit First Book to get books to children from low-income families. We also wanted to reach out to unpublished authors to give them another way to submit their work. We are thrilled with the response we received from would-be authors and delighted that we can be instrumental in supporting great new stories for children and families to enjoy together.”

The first two stanzas of The Great Dog Wash are:

Big dogs and small dogs,
Come one and all dogs.
We're having a dog wash today!

Slippery slobbery,
Do a good jobbery.
Wash all that dog smell away.

Rhyming slobbery with 'jobbery' does it for me.  Check back at spoonfulofstories.com for a sneak peak into how a picture book is created, with early sketches by the illustrator and any edits to the first two stanzas.  And if you'd like to put your creative juices to the test, check the same website for info on the next launch of the Children's Book Contest.