Planning your online promotion

At some point during our initial meeting with clients or prospective clients, the conversation invariably turns to timing. Somewhere between learning about their needs and explaining our services, we hear…

“…and can we go live with this on Monday?”

This is folllowed by a short silence, some nervous laughter and a collective gulp before we jump into the pool.

Why?

Well, like most good agencies, we are all about service, and the desire to deliver on our clients’ needs. At the same time, a quick response of, “Sure, no problem…” could unravel the company and its reputation.

So mentally, we replay the question in our minds and translate it to read,

“…and just how quickly can you launch this promotion?”

While this question must still be answered carefully, it does offer a little play in terms of exactly what it takes to launch an online promotion quickly. And no surprise, the road that leads to a speedy launch is a two-way street, paved with decisions and actions on the part of the client as well as the agency. The four key aspects of preparing an online promotion for launch are:

 

Creative

– Regardless of whether the creative is supplied by the client or the agency, time must be allotted to conceive, create, review and revise both copy and graphics. If there are partners involved in the promotion, factor in additional time for their input as well.

Legal

– In addition to approval by the account team, creative copy may need to be reviewed by both client and agency legal, especially in instances where a consumer offer is made. Many promotions require, Official Rules or Terms and Conditions to be constructed and approved as well. Again, if partners are involved, factor in additional time for review by their legal as well.

Registration

– Depending on the size, scope and type of the promotion, it may require registration with certain states. These registrations may need to be filed as much as 30 days in advance of the program launch, and may require the inclusion of a surety bond as well as the final Official Rules for the program.

Production

– Once all of the critical creative, copy and legal components are approved, the pieces must be assembled into the microsite for the promotion. This programming not only requires time to code, but it should also be extensively tested, or “QA’d” (both in a staging environment as well as a “live” environment), to make sure the pages are served correctly and function accurately across all major browsers. If the promotion involves an instant win game component, security concerns must also be addressed.

And assuming that all parties can agree on a timeline that covers these milestones, collecting the decisions and actions of the team members along the way, you can begin to answer the question,

“…just how quickly can you launch a promotion?”

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Our latest addition to the website offers insights and information regarding promotion marketing issues we frequently encounter. You can ask your burning promotion question by emailing us at info@strobepromo.com. You may find your question and our answer posted here. Click here to view.