Canada’s Marché Central got shoppers engaged with an interactive online contest

Shoppers in Montreal, Canada, were busy picking out gifts online this past Christmas season and Marché Central couldn’t have been happier. From 19th to 24th December, Marché Central ran the Catch the Wave interactive online contest, which gave customers a chance to create and win their personal gift list from a roster of prizes that centre retailers had donated, up to a total value of £2,500 (€3,350).
A brain child of the SGM marketing agency, Catch the Wave was offered in both English and French, and was promoted through Web advertising on selected sites.
According to the agency’s project manager, Adèle Naury, the centre encouraged participation by offering anyone who invited up to five people to enter the contest an additional chance of winning each time one of these friends submitted a gift list. The tactic worked.
Naury said 27,647 people registered for the contest, with 22 percent of visits to the centre's Website during the contest period being generated from invitation e-mails. Two participants ended up winning their wish list.
Some 19,347 shoppers registered to receive the centre’s newsletter, giving Marché Central fresh leads on consumers it could attempt to turn into loyal shoppers. .

Media Mix & Impact

Marché Central promoted its online contest through five Canadian networks:
• Sympatico-MSN (hotmail, msn messenger)
• OliveCanada (e.g. Cyberpresse, Montoit, Monvolant, LaPresseAffaire, Technaute)
• Réseau Branchez-vous (e.g. tv5.ca, ledevoir.com, toutmontreal.com)
• Canoe Network (canoe.ca, tva.canoe.com)
• 24/7 Network (e.g. Montrealplus.ca, Quebecweb, Viedefamille.ca, Duproprio.com, Cinemaclock)

The centre opted for three advertising formats:
• Super banner (728 x 90)
• Big box (300 x 250)
• Text links

• Total Number of impressions for all five networks: 2,900,832

• Total number of unique visitors to the Marché Central Website during the contest period: 48,000. That’s up from 5,000 unique visitors during the previous month.

• Total number of clicks on creative during the contest period: 43,852.

Source: SGM for Marché Central.