What do you get when you combine free flights to Europe, an adorable puppy, avid football fans, 16-bit game design and a tug of war? The Whitecaps Football Club's ultimate viral engagement campaign.
Just when we thought you couldn't fit more awesome into a single campaign, the Whitecaps FC blew our minds with the World Pup Predictor. In concurrence with the FIFA World Cup, Whitecaps launched a Tug of War campaign where fans predicted the outcome of football matches for a chance at a trip to Germany. But that's not all - they were pitted against the most adorable little white puppy "Obi" who was also guessing the champions.
The wins were incredible. With millions of fans participating at a return rate of over three times per fan, Whitecaps instantly identified their most passionate supporters and how best to contact them. They now have a Fan CRM full of leads, categorized by their locations and favourite teams, that they can reach by email or targeted ads.
How can you connect with your avid fans? Learn from their success:
5 Lessons Learned from the Pup Predictor:
1. Design Sharable Campaigns
Immediately after discovering the Pup Predictor, you're dying to share it. The nostalgic, playful 16-bit music and design paired with dawww-worthy Obi make it irresistibly likeable. The campaign's relevance to the FIFA World Cup - an internationally renowned series - gave it a sense of urgency and timeliness. Even if you weren't an avid football fan, everyone in the Whitecaps target age demographic could relate on some level, massively increasing the Predictor's visibility through organic engagement.
2. Make Engagement Effortless
The simplicity of the Whitecaps Tug of War campaign made participation a breeze. Simply click which team you think will win, and you've entered to win. Without a fan gate, the only barrier between fans and their prediction was a one-click Whitecaps FC-branded authentication that requested their name and email. This facilitated the easy sharing of fan information and prevented any cheaters from ruining the fun.
3. Encourage Fan Competition
Pitting fans against each other in a cause they're passionate about is a surefire way to entice participants. The simple two-team choice of the Tug of War poked at everyone's intrinsic want to win. Fan entries generated so much organic engagement that the Whitecaps hardly had to promote the campaign through paid ads.
4. Provide Wow-Worthy Incentives
You don't have to give away tickets to Germany to visit the Adidas HQ to draw a huge fan base like the Whitecaps. Understanding what kind of incentive will resonate with your fans is the most important factor. Fan CRM helped the Whitecaps identify their fans' interests and passions, so even after their first campaign they had a better idea of what their next prize should be.
5. Always Have Fun!
Sometimes we get so caught up in our business goals we forget to have fun! Every massively successful campaign involves a sense of play, cheek, and creativity. Rinse-and-repeat contests may be easy, but spending a little extra time brainstorming will always pay off. Just ask the Whitecaps - who've topped our fun contest hall of fame for their one-of-a-kind kicker.