Interactive

While auto manufacturers may not have video introductions on their websites, many have entered into the interactive world through various other promotional methods. However, as with anything else there is a certain amount of risk involved. Chevy’s now infamous a foray into the world of user-generated content with the Tahoe Build your own commercial is a perfect example of these risks.
Conversely, Pontiac has had a great deal of success with innovative interactive campaigns, such as the recent ‘Catch a G6’ mobile marketing campaign, and the appearance of the Solstice on The Apprentice (and the subsequent spike in web traffic).

While I am not aware of the specifics of this particular contest, many similar promotions indicate that the promotional period lasts until the end date OR until quantities last. My guess would be Coke simply ran out of materials.

Although I understand your point of view, I would have to disagree with you. First of all, Burger King is not the first major brand to associate itself with MySpace. In fact Pepsi, Toyota, Circuit City and Coca-Cola have all made use of MySpace to attract online audiences. Secondly, representatives from the social networking site have indicated that the site has reportedly, in response to a point you alluded to, removed over 200,000 profiles from its site and have hired security personnel to oversee the site. Lastly, BK is not targeting teenagers per se. Rather, they appear to be targeting the 18-30 male demographic, as they have offered downloads of Fox’s ‘24’ – a popular show among that demographic.

First off, without knowing the specifics of your situation, it is difficult to provide you with an exact answer to the question. However, when developing a marketing communications plan, there are a few key areas to consider:
1 – What is the message you are trying to convey?
2 – What demographic will you be targeting with your campaign?
3 – What media will best target this group?
4 – What media will your budget allow you to employ?
In your case, you’ve answered #2 (18-30 yr olds). I would suggest an excellent method of targeting this particular group would be via mobile phones/SMS campaigns. As we’ve covered in this space, mobile phone penetration in this segment is off the charts.

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this type of question. There are so many variables that can affect the results and outcome of a particular online promotion. What demographics are being targeted? Does the prize pool offered appeal to this audience? What format is the online promotion? What is the accompanying media spend? What type of media? Etc, etc, etc.
While there is not a simple answer to this question, I can tell you we’ve seen promotions that have resulted in over 50% boost in sales during the promotional period. If the promotion is well planned and executed correctly, the results can be outstanding.