Every year, Allure magazine offers its Free Stuff Giveaway in the August issue, where it gives away an incredible array of products. In the past, Allure ran the contest through its website. This year, the magazine jumped on the mobile bandwagon, using Microsoft Tag as the portal for readers to enter to win prizes.
Pre-registration is open and the contest starts August 2, 2010. Allure has printed 36 Microsoft Tags in its August issue, allowing readers to enter any one of the 159 giveaways of over 32,000 products.
Allure also offers a Tag that, when scanned, will send a text-message reminder 15 minutes before the giveaways on a certain page. A master Microsoft Tag in the back of the magazine (and on allure.com) can be scanned for a chance to win any or all of the giveaways. The master Microsoft Tag can be torn out and tucked in a wallet, making it easier for people who are on the go to enter the hourly giveaways.
"With Microsoft Tag, our readers no longer have to be tethered to their computers to enter to win Free Stuff. It gives them a connection to the magazine anywhere there is a phone signal," says Linda Wells, editor-in-chief of Allure. "When done right, technology is a service, not a gimmick. What we've done is use Tag to give readers what they want – a fast, easy, and more convenient way to participate in our giveaways."
"This is the largest single deployment of Microsoft Tag in a magazine to date," said Aaron Getz, general manager for Microsoft Tag.
Update: So how did it work out? The results were astounding, with more than 400,000 scans of the contest Tags and a 38% increase in entries. If you're thinking of running a Tag contest, check out these ideas.
What do you think of this creative implementation of Tag? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments or on Tag’s Facebook or Twitter pages.