AllFacebook Marketing Conference, June 5 in San Francisco #AllFacebookConf

1. Case Study:
Social Promotions at Scale

2. Introductions
Justin Holmerud
Global Social Media Manager, Starwood Hotels
& Resorts, @SPG
Mike La Rotonda
Co-CEO & Founder, Votigo, Inc., @votigo,
@larotonda

3. Votigo Social Marketing Platform
3Confidential
Comprehensive solution reaches across social networks and device platforms
Social Contacts
Conversation
Manager
Promotions
& Apps
Analytics

4. Services available:
• Dedicated Project Manager & Account Manager
• Official contest or sweepstakes rules (US &
International) and translations
• Graphic Design
• Moderation, winner selection, notification &
verification
• Prize fulfillment
Promotions & Apps
Pay As You Go (Full & Self Serve) / Unlimited Subscription
Promotion Types:
• Sweepstakes: Traditional, Trivia, Viral, Instant Win
& Photo
• Contests: Photo, Video, Essay
• Instagram Promotions
• Twitter Promotions
• Cross Platform: Facebook, microsite and mobile

5. Starwood Background
Brands
Hotel
Pages
Hotel
Pages
Hotel
Pages

6. What is a Social Promotion?
POSITIVE OUTCOMES NEGATIVE OUTCOMES
Increased fan base and reach New fans expect promotions and
deals
Sweeps winner can become an
evangelist
Increased potential for negative
feedback at the conclusion of the
promotion
Empower your fans to market on
your behalf
Varying results can be expected
Drives engagement with fans Potential for fan loss after contest
There are key differences in promotion types, social
network capabilities and potential outcomes

7. Promotion Goals
It’s important to define goals prior to your
launch. Some of these may include:
- Building a fan base
- Launching a new location/product/service
- Celebrating an event or anniversary
- Building more social interactions
- Generating more UGC around a hashtag or
topic

8. Promotion Checklist
 What is the purpose of this?
 Is there an event or reason to have a promotion?
 Do I have someone who can answer fan questions?
 Do you have a marketing strategy to promote it?
 Do you have a post-promotion marketing strategy for new
fans?

9. The Problem

10. Starwood Objectives
When we approached Votigo, we had several key goals:
- Identify a partner that offers platform and terms
indemnification
- Decrease the workload for our legal team
- Develop a self-serve platform that allows for quick
development
- Limit prizing and networks to ensure compliance
- Develop criteria to ensure hotels have a strategy
- Handle promotions focused on engagement but also a
partner that can handle customized campaigns
- Establish oversight and approvals

11. Solution

12. • Multiple promotion types
• Access and oversight for all Starwood social pages

13. Promotion Creation
• Simple creation flow
• Design customization
• Multiple language
• Rules template
• Workflow & permissions

14. Analytics & Reporting
• Engagement
• Demographics
• Viral impact
• Web metrics
• Mobile vs. desktop
• Custom question
breakdown

15. Sheraton Maui: 50 Years of Aloha Trivia Sweeps
Results
• 725 Entries
• 425 New Fans
• Significant sharing & discussion on Facebook
Objectives
• Support the 50th Anniversary of Sheraton Maui
• Establish deeper connection with guests
through trivia
• Reward loyal guests, find new fans

16. Sheraton Toast Around the World Instagram Sweeps
Results
• 366 Entries
• 1,153 New Fans
• Significant sharing & discussion
on Facebook
Objectives
• Support global Sheraton initiative
• Aggregate UGC from around the
globe
• Build awareness of brand
programming

17. Success Metrics
• Track the number of fans at the start of the
promotion
• Set reasonable goals for fan acquisition and
entries
• Monitor progress throughout the promotion
and ramp up marketing efforts as needed
• Analyze demographic information of entrants
to match with typical customers
• Monitor post-promotion fan loss

18. Success Metrics
• A well executed campaign typically leads to
300-700 entries and over 1,000 new fans
• A poorly executed campaign typically leads to
10-100 entries and very few new fans
• On average we saw between 10-60 shares of
an individual campaign

19. Just Because You Build It…..
Doesn’t Mean They Will Come

20. Key Learnings
• Don’t make the barrier of entry to difficult
• If you don’t hit expectations, tweak the
strategy and try again
• Ensure you have a marketing plan in place
prior to launch
• Sweeps vs. contests generate very different
feedback

21. Questions
Justin Holmerud
Global Social Media Manager, Starwood Hotels
& Resorts, @SPG
Mike La Rotonda
Co-CEO & Founder, Votigo, Inc., @votigo,
@larotonda