You may already know that offering tickets to a renowed music event or a trip to a professional league playoff game is a motivating sweepstakes prize. However, to stay out of trouble, keep the following five sweepstakes prize pitfalls in mind:
- Permission: Are you considering a grand prize offering of a trip to the Super Bowl, WNBA Finals or Coachella? Be certain you have permission from the respective league or rights holder – otherwise chances are high that you will at best receive a cease & desist letter, and at worst encounter litigation.
- Budget! If you intend to offer a grand prize like a trip to the World Series or similar, ensure you set aside enough budget to obtain a licensing fee from the entity that owns the trademark.
- Time! Allow for additional planning, review and execution time when working with an organization like the NFL, as you’ll need an additional layer of approval throughout the development process.
- Any Workarounds? Trademark owners often own the rights to alternate names as well, but sometimes you can substitute a well-known phrase or description in place of the proper event name. We did just that when we provided sweepstakes administration and consultation to Mischief Agency’s client Anytime Fitness “Big Game” sweepstakes.
- C’mon…Do Unauthorized Sponsors Ever Really Get In Trouble? They sure do!
Thinking about partnering with a renowned professional league or major event? Reach out to us or reply to this email. We can help you identify the best fit for your brand and audience, negotiate with your potential partner and handle all communications so you can run a legal, successful and pain-free promotion.