Marketing has never been easy. The pandemic has limited in-person interactions and tightened budgets, making marketing a greater challenge than ever — and more critical to business growth.
Running a giveaway can be an incredibly cost-effective way to increase email sign-ups, drive brand awareness, generate leads, and even have a bit of fun. Unlike paid ads or SEO, giveaways are easier to launch and require less time to see results.
But, COVID has made finding the right prizes challenging. Traditional prizes like tickets to amusement parks or movie theaters are no longer a viable option. But people are spending more time online than ever before — making now the perfect time to use giveaways to drive your brand forward.
Here are a few creative fall giveaway prizes that will get your audience excited — and help your giveaway drive more engagement and registrations!
Giveaway Prize Ideas for Fall 2020
Choosing the right giveaway prize is the first step in building a successful giveaway strategy. Look for prizes that are related to your brand and will excite your audience. In 2020, that also means considering how COVID continues to impact our day-to-day lives. For example, tickets to a concert or back to school clothing might not be an ideal prize choice. Instead, businesses should look for prizes that solve modern problems and encourage outdoor fun.
There are still plenty of creative fall giveaway ideas you can use to launch your next giveaway. Here are more than 30 ideas to drive engagement and help your brand succeed, even during the pandemic.
Backyard Movie Setup
Fall is the perfect season for an outdoor, socially-distanced movie night. Create a prize pack with an outdoor projector, popcorn, snacks, and a DVD so the winner can enjoy a memorable movie night under the stars with friends. Customize the prize pack to your audience by including a kid-friendly movie for families, a romantic flick for a date night, or a suspense thriller for adults. Think about who your target audience is and what types of movies they might enjoy.
Here are a few other ideas to include for a fun movie-themed prize pack:
- Inflatable couch
- Smores supplies
- Firepit
- Fuzzy blankets
- Flavored popcorn bucket
- Stuffed animals
Grilling Prize Pack
A grilling prize pack is a great way to encourage people to enjoy time with those they love while staying safe. Depending on your business, a grilling prize pack could include a new grill, patio seating, meats, sauces, sides, and outdoor games. Feel free to adjust this prize to fit your business and your audience.
For example, a restaurant might offer a free catered meal along with outdoor games, while a gardening shop might offer plants, potting soil, pots, and patio seating. A hobby shop might offer custom made grilling utensils or a corn hole set.
Remote Learning (and Working) Supplies
Across the country, kids are heading back to school remotely, leaving many parents scrambling to adjust to at-home learning. Consider offering remote learning supplies such as tables, chairs, beanbag chairs, craft supplies, educational charts, dry erase boards, and math cubes. Bigger items, such as two to three child desks or cube organizers might be a great option, depending on your budget and audience.
If your target audience tends to be professionals, consider home office furniture or supplies, such as:
- Fancy office chair
- Standing desk
- Treadmill desk
- Extra monitors
Outdoor Play and Sports
As the weather cools off, many people are ready to spend more time outside. Prizes related to camping, playing in the yard, or sports could drive more giveaway registrations — which improves your brand’s reach. Here are a few outdoor prizes to consider:
- Tents and other camping gear
- Outdoor swing and slide set
- Golfing equipment
- Basketball hoop and ball
- Paddleboard or kayak
- Bounce house
- Trampoline
- Hammock
Look for ways to relate the prize to your business when possible. For example, a swanky camping tent makes sense for a camping supply store, but not so much for a book store.
Electronics
Normally, I wouldn’t recommend electronics as a giveaway prize. Expensive electronics often draw in freebie seekers who might not be in your target audience. After all, who doesn’t want a new iPad? However, with so many people working — and learning — remotely, electronics are in high demand. Consider options such as:
- Laptops
- E-readers
- Tablets
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Note-taking tablets
- Smart home speakers
If you choose to offer electronics, make sure to adjust your contest rules to limit registrations by location or age. Consider using a user-generated content contest to extend your contest’s reach, which can ensure the larger prize price tag helps drive more engagement.
Family/Date Night at Home
Prizes that encourage people to spend time with those they love are popular prizes for a good reason. People who make good memories with their loved ones are likely to extend those positive feelings to your brand. Besides the marketing aspect, making people happy is always a good thing!
Here are a few ideas to help your audience spend more time with those they love:
- A gift card to get takeout from a local restaurant + a movie
- Board games like Twister, Yahtzee, or Clue
- Snacks and drinks
- Build a fort kit (like this one)
- Hunt a Killer gift certificate
- Host an online trivia night
- Puzzles
- Home mini-golf set
Conclusion
Contests are still one of the most effective marketing strategies, especially for smaller businesses with tighter budgets. These prize ideas for giveaways will get people excited to interact with your business and can help drive online engagement, help your business gather leads, and increase brand awareness.
Consider prizes that solve unique problems related to the pandemic and encourage people to spend time with those they love such as:
- Backyard movie night supplies
- Grilling prize packs
- Remote working and learning prize packages
- Outdoor sports prizes
- Electronics
- Game night fun packages
Ready to create your giveaway? Sign up for a free Woobox account now! Woobox Support is available to help from 8 am to 5 pm PST, Monday through Friday at 1-360-450-5200 and support@woobox.com.