Whether you’re a scratch card junky or you’ve only tried one once or twice you’ll know that feeling of anticipation which gets us all as we scratch away the grey surface of the card. There’s something about being able to scratch off the card itself to reveal whether you’ve won which is truly addictive. But it’s not just winning which draws us to the card. How many times have you continued scratching off panels even though you know you can’t win? Ever scratched a scratch card which has nothing to do with getting a prize? If you stop and think about it, there’s something almost addictive about the action of revealing what’s hidden. We have to know what’s behind that panel – and that’s exactly why the scratch card can be such a compelling marketing tool.
Why they work
Scratch cards are likely to immediately engage a customer as soon as they see it. They’re harder to ignore than a generic flyer or postcard simply because of the opportunity to interact with the card. If you’re running a competition to drum up business or are doing a prize-give away, complementing scratch cards will really enhance the campaign. Scratch cards also make potential new customers sit up and take notice. As long as what is revealed is worth their time or intrigues a potential customer then it’s doing its job.
If you do run a competition via or in conjunction with scratch cards an winner is likely to pass on the news to others thereby increasing brand awareness through word of mouth. Of course, part of the interest of scratch cards is that they’re a novelty. It’s best to run scratch card campaigns in short, punchy bursts.
Be a bit clever
A really clever scratch card campaign was pursued by the Reconstruyendo Angostura project trying to raise money and awareness of plight of Villa La Angostura who were put in a critical situation after the nearby Puyehue volcano erupted and covered the city in ash. Playing on the concept of “scratch and win” by using the tagline “scratch and we all win”, the grey cover on the scratch card became representative of the ash, donating money to the cause would help scratch away the ash affecting the city like a user just has after they’ve scratched. Scratch cards which are a bit clever rather than gimmicky are likely to do really well.
So, don’t limit yourself to traditional print marketing tools. Anything which can be printed on can be used to spread the word about your brand and scratch cards are one of the most fun and compelling ways to do this! Find print companies who offer scratch card printing and you’ll be well on your way!
