http://www.wincompetitions.com.au/board/index.php?app=tutorials Mon, 21 May 2012 06:25:58 +0000 1800 Tutorials from all available categories. ]]> Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:46:42 +0000 26 Donna 1
]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:43:16 +0000 25 Donna 1 ]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:30:44 +0000 24 Donna 1 We use tags to make comping easier to find a particular type of comp or a particular prize.

Each forum has some quick links at the top such as when you click on NEW WEB COMPS and you will see the 'how to post a competition' text and then below that you will see the quick links to popular comps.

However sometimes you won't see a tag on the front page's Popular Tag box - so you will want to search for a tag. The following picture shows you how to do that. Simply click on the settings button next to the search form at the top of every page and then you will be able to search by tag only. Or search for a tag in certain forums - the choice is yours.

So to start you simply click the advanced search button which is shown here:

This is found at the top right hand corner of every page in the forum



You will then be taken to this screen and I have put instructions in the picture on how to perform the search:




]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:18:07 +0000 23 Donna 1 You can even preview a topic and mark it as read if you are not interested.
Please note:

You have to actually mouse over a topic for the icon to show itself for you to click for the topic preview.


]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:51:00 +0000 22 Donna 1 At the top of every page at AussieCompers you will see at the top right hand side there is a button called VIEW NEW CONTENT.
If you click this button it will take to all the latest content in the forum.

Once you click on that button it will take you to a new page that looks like this:

You can choose to view the content that you have not read, or only the content that has been posted since your last visit or in the last week, month etc.
If you don't want to lose this page you can hold the SHIFT key on your keyboard down while clicking the link and it will open a new window for you. Otherwise just click the link and when you are done you simply hit the VIEW NEW CONTENT button at the top right corner - it appears on every page!


If you ever have any questions don't be afraid to ask either by making a post in the forum or using the contact us tab at the top of each page.]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:51:24 +0000 21 Donna 1 Nescafe Cup Of Rewards promotion because at the time we were purchasing the coffee and I figured being rewarded for it would be a great bonus. The rewards program actually did influence my decision to purchase that particular brand of coffee. I wanted to get enough points to claim a music voucher to give to my daughter for Xmas. I managed to get enough points and put in a claim in November 2010. I got an email giving me an order number for the claim but no unique code needed to actually spend the voucher.
I contacted the website and explained that I had not received the unique code but did not get an answer.

As I was on holidays in Tasmania at the time I had to leave it for a couple of weeks but when I got back home I contacted them through their website a couple of times only to be ignored.
By this time I was getting pissed off with them so I contacted Nestle directly and finally got a phone call back. It was the customer service department. They took all the information and told me they would contact the agency running the program who would then get in contact with me. You know what's coming right?
You got it - nobody contacted me. So I contacted Nestle after another two weeks and told them straight that I would be filing a complaint with ACCC for false advertising and enticing customers to buy with claims of rewarding them when in fact they were not.

Well what do you know - they ignored me.

So I went ahead and put in a complaint with ACCC and then I sent Nestle a copy of the complaint. Well well well - isn't it just a freak of nature coincidence - that same day I got an email from Nestle to say they were looking into it. Within 24 hours the agency running the show sent me an email with my unique code and then rang me to make sure I got it.
Funny how they were not capable of doing that in the very first instance. That's all they had to do - send me the code. It is simply appalling that I had to go to the ACCC to even get them to take any notice of a customer complaint.

I heard back from the ACCC who wouldn't be able to do too much without multiple complaints - but what they did do is make a file of it on Nestle's name. You see they have a system they use that puts a mark on a company name with each complaint. Once the marks start to increase it tells them that there is a pattern of behaviour from the company and then they act. Nestle know this of course, so once I sent them a copy of my complaint to ACCC they would been straight on to the agency running the program and told them to sort it out pronto, That is exactly what should have happened in my first contact with them.

So if you ever do have a hassle with getting a reward or a prize that you won - don't put it in the too hard basket or think that it is too trivial. Companies make big money out of promotions and brand exposure so make sure they live up to everything they promise. You are the one spending money on their brands.

My experience has caused me to search for another brand of coffee (decaf) and has also encouraged me to avoid the entire Nestle range of products where possible because I don't support companies that don't look after customers.]]> Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:49:16 +0000 16 Donna 2 (more on that later). In early 2003 when I released the Carry On Comping book I predicted that there would be a sharp increase in the amount of SMS competitions and that prediction was correct. We have seen a huge increase in SMS competitions from all forms of media. It was aimed at the tech savvy youth and it worked. It is also more lucrative for a company to offer SMS entry because they get a cut of the profits.

When the SMS comps first started many people (myself included) thought they were too much bother but that was because we weren't up with the text messaging craze. Also many did not like having to pay premium rates to enter. There was also (and still is to some degree) a fear of being caught in the SMS rip off comps where you are charged subscription fees by unscrupulous companies. There was also the fact that the use of coloured envelopes and decorated envelopes were losing their effectiveness because mail in entries were data-based along with the phone entries before the winners were drawn. (Don't let any so called 'expert' kid you that the envelopes never were successful because they were very successful for many of us.) History shows however - change is normally met with resistance yet eventually it is followed by acceptance. So it was with SMS competitions.

So now that SMS comps are pretty much the norm these days the new wave of comping is on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook- and for some, they are annoying while others love them. Follow me, sign up as a fan, find the clues, spend hours searching for things to win seems to be the name of the game and I must say I think they are a pain in the arse. If you are unemployed and have all the time in the world then this new kind of comp is for you! For me personally - unless it's a simple sign up as a fan and you are in the draw to win then the prize had want to be good for me to bother to go to much more effort. Something that bothers me about them is consumer privacy.

When you enter a competition your name is normally recorded in a database along with the details of all the other entrants. That is fine - but with social networking sites, you are listed for all to see. I don't actually get off on everyone else knowing whether I am entering or not. That should be my business unless I choose to tell others. There is also a fine line between being a customer and being a fan of a company. I have signed up as a fan at several sites but some of the others I have avoided like the plague if they play the popularity card - simply because I detest them for so many reasons.

Another problem with social networking sites being used for competitions is that there is sometimes great difficulty in telling the difference between legitimate companies and rip off companies. I have seen a number of so called competitions running on Facebook that are so very obviously aimed at people in USA but welcome entries from anywhere - of course they do, it's all a numbers game in the popularity stakes. Companies should be ensuring the privacy of entrants - not flaunting them. Of course, companies want their brand to stand out and to do that they encourage consumers to flaunt themselves on social networking sites in exchange for a chance to win. It will be interesting to see how it all evolves - right now to me it looks like people are needing to give of themselves a little too much.

Voting competitions have also increased over the last few years. I have no idea why as they tend to bring out the worst in people and they just smack of desperation. They are also more often than not compromised by cheating. Obviously the companies running this type of comp are trying to have an interactive relationship with consumers but the fact that people are spamming everyone they know is really not a cool thing. I can almost guarantee that normally quiet members on any of the forums will all of a sudden be vocal when they are chasing a few extra votes.

Another change in comping has been the increase in effort required to enter a competition - I predict that it won't last too long because the number of entries will reflect that these kind of competitions are not what a consumer wants. Asking a consumer to purchase several items for one entry is bound to turn off a comper let alone a general consumer. Requiring a purchase plus a words or less entry reduces the number of entries immediately because of the effort required. That of course makes it much more enticing to the creative compers (and let's face it, it is normally a comper who wins those competitions!)

Web competitions that require readers to do anything other than play a game, answer a question or have a bit of interactive fun will fall flat on it's face because people just can't be bothered these days. People are busy and they want information fast and they want to have their fun fast as well. It is a very interesting time too for anyone working in marketing because the market is changing and so is the technology.

One of my family members owns a marketing firm and has commented on how marketing methods are becoming much more complex, while another family member who works at top level in another agency stated that with technology it was getting easier to interact with consumers. That is what I am afraid of - that consumers are being conned into having a 'relationship' with the brands they like. While it is all well and good to have interaction with a company - remember that their aim is to get much more out of the relationship than you. Just make sure you go in with your eyes open.

When it comes to shopping competitions (or consumer competitions) there have been some positive changes which is good to see. More and more companies are asking for proof of purchase, proof of identity and limiting the number of entries. While many compers are using methods to count how many entries they are putting into a particular competition - my prediction is there won't be much need for all of that in the not so distant future. I think consumers will be encouraged to enter once or twice and then the relationship with that consumer will be continued by way of special offers, free samples, member only deals and loyalty rewards. With this kind of thing everyone is happy - it's a two way street.

A recent promo that worked for me was Wild Bean coffee - they ran a comp last year to win prizes and you also joined their club. From time to time they email you a special offer or a freebie of the week. Then to kick off 2010 they sent out free travel coffee mugs (good stainless steel ones) along with a voucher for a free coffee. I was very pleased with it and now have a mug that of course can be refilled at my local Wild Bean shop. This is simple but clever marketing - it really isn't rocket science. Sometimes companies just need to stick with the basics and dress it up pretty in technology.

No matter what prizes are offered though, if the brand doesn't stand up to the test of the consumer the brand will fail. So the prize can only be the icing on the cake - the cake still has to taste good.]]> Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:05:46 +0000 13 Donna 2
Your employer has your tax file number, birth date, address, phone numbers, medical details and names and numbers of some family members. The local council also holds your details such as electorate roll details, name, birthday, address, phone numbers and whether or not you have any pets. Then think about what information your banks hold, your doctors office or your service providers. No matter where you are or what you do - your information is out there. What really matters is how much do you trust all these people to have your information? To be honest I have more concern with the fact that many of our communications providers and banks have their call centres overseas where Australian laws mean - well jack really. So when it comes to competitions should you really be concerned?

To enter most competitions you are often asked for your personal details. However we are increasingly being asked for our date of birth. In my opinion there is no valid reason for this when an age range would be more than suitable. Also many promoters are asking for a copy of your license or passport to claim a prize. I have often questioned this and also requested that if I provide this information (license only as I will not provide passport copies) that it be destroyed due to identity theft concerns. I have never been refused but you can also never really be sure that the information has been destroyed.

Knowing that my details are available in many areas of business I don't tend to care much that I have to give out information to enter competitions. Having said that, I do not like having to give my date of birth online to every Tom, Dick and Harry - and lets face it - all the promoters are just more Toms, Dicks and Harry's. The only thing you can do about it is let them know that you are not happy to give your date of birth. Surely the year of birth is enough? Some compers choose to give the correct year of birth but not the actual date. I am sure that most promoters will accept that when you explain that you are concerned about identity theft. (So long as you are being honest with the rest of your entry and your intent is not to deceive.)

The only thing you can do is make the decision yourself about what information you are willing to share in order to enter a competition. Don't ever give out any information that you are not comfortable with. The important question to ask yourself at the time of entry is how well do you know the company you are dealing with?

All information you give when entering competitions will be added to a database that may be used in future for advertising and marketing purposes. Remember though that you have a legal right to change that information at any time.]]> Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:04:25 +0000 12 Donna 2 Handy Tips To Avoid Telemarketers:

Multi Number: Use a different phone number for competitions. You can pay a few dollars a month to have a multi number (landline) so you would have a private number for personal things and a different number for competitions only. When anyone rings the multi number it will have a different ring tone and you will know it is either a competition win or a telemarketer. You could set it up so that your comping number goes straight to message bank.

Dual Sims: For mobile phones you can have one just for comping - and if you wanted to, you could use a dual sim phone that lets you have two different numbers (even from two different providers) and then you would know when your 'comping' phone is ringing because it will show you on the screen which number is ringing. The dual sim also lets you take advantage of the different pre paid offers to get the most out of your comping mobile phone allowance.

Virtual Numbers: You can purchase a virtual phone number (landline) that goes straight to voice message bank and all message are emailed to you as an MP3 or WAV file.

With all of the above options you get to avoid the telemarketers - if it is a genuine competition win then you will be left a message asking you to call back to confirm your details.

You can of course register on the DO NOT CALL register but the more competitions you enter the more you end up back on the list!]]> Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:03:12 +0000 11 Donna 2