Social Media Campaign Review: Mc Dowell's No. 1 Guess The Sign Contest

Despite the Royal Challengers Bangalore being out of the race to win the Pepsi IPL 2013, another UB Group brand, Mc Dowell’s No. 1, is engaging users in the last leg of the IPL through the Mc Dowell's No. 1 Guess The Sign contest

Objective:

In the last leg of the IPL, the two UB Group brands, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mc Dowell’s No. 1, are creating user engagement through this contest.

Execution:

First up, you have to ‘Like’ the Mc Dowell’s Facebook page to participate in the contest.

The contest is quite simple. There are three questions. In each question, you must identify the umpire’s signal and select the right answer.

After you answer all three questions, you are led to the next page where you must give your details; select your cricketing skills and most importantly, state in one line as to why you should be a part of the Mc Dowell’s XI and play with your favourite star.

The contest is open to Indian residents only. 11 winners will be shortlisted based on the number of correct answers and if there is a tie (which is more than likely), they will be selected via sweepstakes. The winners will play an 8 over match against the members of the Royal Challengers XI. The match is to take place in the third week of May 2013 in Bangalore.

Positives:

It is good that two UB Group brands are creating user engagement through a single contest. The contest is dead simple to participate which I believe ensured a good participation. Besides, asking to fill a contact form as a necessary step for participation helps the brand build a database of consumers whom they can later target via emails.

Also, for RCB - despite its IPL exit - this is a good way to make its presence felt on social media. There is online offline integration. The winners get a chance to be a part of the game.

Scope for Improvement:

We have seen such contests before – there is nothing extraordinary about this contest. Apart from being simple to play, I wish they had made it interesting as well.

I was taken aback when I saw MS Dhoni and Chris Gayle on opposite sides of the contest page. M S Dhoni may be the brand ambassador for Mc Dowell’s No. 1 but in the context of the IPL, one would tend to associate him with the Chennai Super Kings, especially since his picture was placed right next to Gayle, dressed in RCB colours. I'm sure this may have caused confusion in the minds of many others.

Conclusion:

Given RCB’s association with this contest, it is an overall disappointment, particularly, in the light of RCB’s solid social media strategy before and during the Pepsi IPL 2013.