We’ve all seen an influx of consumer-generated contests during the last few years from leading brands such as American Express, Heinz, Doritos and Dove, among many others. Do contests still provide companies with the opportunity to generate brand awareness and engage with their target consumers? Yes…if done correctly. Here are a few best practices:

Make it a rewarding experience. What’s in it for me? That’s the question a consumer will ask when determining whether to participate. Interestingly, simple prizes, such as a year’s supply of free product, can work just as effectively as a big flashy reward like the $1 million in prizes Office Depot is offering for its national search for the best and smartest U.S. small businesses. In these challenging economic times, a cash prize of $1,000 can be a big enough incentive to enter.

Give them something to talk about: Consumers love to talk about themselves, their likes, their hobbies, and of course, their kids and pets. Know your target audience and develop a contest theme that taps into their interests. Most importantly, make sure it’s brand appropriate. For example, who better than Play-Doh to offer the chance to win a Playroom Makeover through a photo contest?

Understand your audience: How do you want to engage with your audience and what do consumers need to do to enter? Will your consumer take the time to write an essay, try her luck in developing a new ad jingle or simply want to grab his camera to snap a quick photo? Knowing your audience will determine how you structure your contest and what your consumer “ask” is.

Keep it simple: From the rules to the entry requirements to the language you use to describe the contest, the communication should be easy to explain and understand.

Provide multiple consumer touch points: The strongest consumer-generated contests provide multiple ways to engage with consumers – a call-for-entries period; interactive tools, such as widgets that allow entrants to share their entries and the contest with friends and family; and consumer voting opportunities, which enable followers to come back to your site to vote for their favorites.

-- Stephanie Doherty, Vice President