Scratch cards are the oldest & highly popular mechanic used within the world of sales promotions; scratch off a plastic coating to reveal a picture, code, symbol or number to find out if youve won a prize. Scratch cards provide instant gratification to aid consumer attraction, engagement and retention.
What makes scratch cards so appealing?
The process of scratching off the plastic panel adds a little drama and anticipation to your consumers
Scratch cards allow you to control your budget easily, through setting the number of winning and losing cards at the outset.
Scratch cards are understood and accessible to all audience types, from young children to mature adults.
The gratification of being a winner is felt straight away. For those winning an offer, such as BOGOF, try me free or the ability to swap the winning card for low-value products, the instant gratification is huge as the winners get to receive their prize straight away!
Scratch cards are relatively low in cost to deploy, requiring only print and design costs to be either incorporated into your packaging or made into a card to be handed out at point of purchase.
Scratch card spin offs include scratch and collect, scratch and match or gift with purchase promotions, and make the proposition even more interesting.
Easily adaptable to create an online & mobile version, to appeal to a broader generational market, whilst allowing you to collect additional customer information along the way.
Things to consider when using scratch cards
If your budget is split into several prizes, be clear to state that the total value of your promotion is based on x number of individual prizes.
Ensure winners dont incur costs to claim their prizes.
Once printed and distributed, scratch cards cant be changed so check, check and triple check the details.
Work with an agency that has the processes in place to ensure that you dont go over budget by working out the prize and winners allocation at the outset.
Printing must be handled by professional scratch card printers only, ensuring the correct materials are used and the process regulated.
Positioning is key; think about how youll position them, where, by whom, visibility and accessibility whilst ensuring they remain secure.
Case Study
Eldorado
Russias largest chain of home appliances and electronics, Eldorado, wanted to celebrate their 10th birthday in style by giving their customers the chance to win life changing prizes.
Any customer spending 3,000 roubles or more would receive a scratch card from their cashier. If 4 out of the 16 panels matched, the cashier would seal it in to a tamper proof envelope and send it off for validation and redemption on the customers behalf.
Winners would receive a prize relative to the amount they spent in store on the day they scratched the card:
3,000 9,999 roubles spent = Eldorado Gift Card
3,000 9,999 roubles spent = Eldorado Gift Card
10,000 19,999 roubles spent = Cash Prize
20,000 49,999 roubles spent = Holiday
50,000+ roubles spent = Win a Car
Mando managed Eldorados budget, to cover the cost of all redemptions.
The appointment of a secure printing company
Facilitated the movement of winning scratch cards from Eldorado stores in tamper proof envelopes
Validations and verification of winning scratch cards