Read what other Circulation Directors are saying about their Successful Bingo Promotions!

Kathy Tolley (StarNews, Wilmington, NC)

" We increased our single copy sales about 200-300 per day for the length of the contest, as well as received a pop of about 700 copies on each of the 2 Sundays that we inserted. "
-Kathy Tolley- Wilmington StarNews

"We recently completed our first round of 'Big Bucks BINGO', partnering with 24 Hardee's restaurants in a 5-county area.  Due to a production problem on our end, the cards were only partially inserted, necessitating an emergency printing of 10,000 more cards.  Steve at SWC   pulled several strings and had the cards printed and overnighted to our production facility.  After the initial panic, we re-inserted 50,000 cards on time and were in no way prepared for the response.  We received numerous phone calls every day for the first 2 weeks of the 6-week promotion, after which the calls died down.  Everyone in town, it seemed, was talking about the promotion.  As far as our sales, we increased our single copy sales about 200-300 per day for the length of the contest, as well as received a pop of about 700 copies on each of the 2 Sundays that we inserted.  (The week with the mix-up, as well as the next week.)  Our corporate partner, Hardee's reported a “measurable increase” in both sales and foot traffic during the promotion, and as we were wrapping the contest up and presenting the grand prize winner with her check, the VP of Operations asked me if we could do it again, right after the first of the year.  They'd like to make this a 3-4 time a year event! 

Steve and SWC were great to work with and contributed so much to the success of this program.  I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for an easy, fun, successful promotion! "

Cheryl Olson (Mankato Free Press)

"SWC has been an awesome company to work with. Utilization of this game has not only increased our single copy on Bingo card distribution days, but it has also helped with reader retention. I have recommended SWC to many of our sister properties, and continue to recommend this company on a frequent basis."
-Cheryl Olson- Mankato Free Press

"We have utilized B-I-N-G-O as a reader participation game since 2004, playing an average of four games per year. SWC has been an awesome company to work with. Utilization of this game has not only increased our single copy on Bingo card distribution days, but it has also helped with reader retention. I have recommended SWC to many of our sister properties, and continue to recommend this company on a frequent basis. We procure one sponsor for the promotion. Our sponsor covers the cost of prizes and printing. In return, they are guaranteed a minimum of 8 weeks of daily ads. Our sponsors love that we direct our readers to their businesses. We place their name and ad on the bottom of each of “Today's Number” ads, as well as their logo on all pre-bingo and post-bingo promotions. It's a WIN-WIN-WIN for our readers, our advertisers and our newspaper."

Tommy Dowdy, Claremore (Oklahoma) Daily Progress

"The Claremore Daily Progress is adding special promotions to thank our customers for reading the newspaper. The game was so successful that we are preparing to launch our second edition and hope to make it an annual event."
-Tommy Dowdy - Claremore Daily Progress

"The Claremore Daily Progress is adding special promotions to thank our customers for reading the newspaper. The game was so successful that we are preparing to launch our second edition and hope to make it an annual event."

In September 2007 the Claremore Daily Progress launched its initial Progress Bingo game, a cooperative effort between Cinda Vaughan (advertising director) and Tommy Dowdy (circulation director) at the Claremore Progress. All readers had to do was cut the Bingo number out of the paper each day and the first person to cover their entire card won the grand prize. Extra numbers were put in the paper on Wednesdays and Sundays. Prizes included $1,000 cash for the grand prize, $500 cash for 2nd prize, and a third prize of $250 cash to the first person to bring their completed Bingo card to the Progress office. Also, anyone who participated could send their entry in to be included in a drawing for five $50 cash prizes. The advertising sponsorship of the game was sold to a local casino. For one price the casino received advertising on the Bingo card and the daily ad that included the bingo number. "It's a great promotion," said Tommy Dowdy, circulation director of Claremore (Okla.) Daily Progress. "The game was a huge success. Customers would come into the office and ask 'have you had a winner yet?' or would say 'I hope I bingo first'. Many customers would call in daily to see if someone had won. We received approximately 500 entries into the consolation drawing for the $50 prizes. The game ran about 2-1/2 months. The Progress is a five day a week paper and it took 65 numbers to get our first winner. The game was a huge success for the entire newspaper. The sponsorship generated $6,500 in revenue, extra single copy papers sold, and the customers received something extra just for reading the Claremore Daily Progress."

Ron, Indiana Gazette

"The “Beach Party Bingo" was a huge success. We inserted 16,000 Bingo cards once and received 1,000 completed cards, over a 6 percent return."
-Ron Seckar, Indiana Gazette

"Steve, good morning! The “Beach Party Bingo" was a huge success. We inserted 16,000 Bingo cards once and received 1,000 completed cards, over a 6 percent return.We conducted the prize drawing at the local mall, as we did for the first Bingo contest. However, this time we asked each of the sponsors to donate prizes that were given away before the $1,000 grand prize. The response to this request was tremendous: a microwave oven, $25.00 - $50.00 - $100.gift cards. These prizes were awarded to the contestants that were present, so we had to "pre-register" everyone that completed a card that came to the event. We organized the 1,000 cards alphabetically and had people pre-register by last name. We were expecting between 100-200 people...and were overwhelmed when 500 people came. The mall's corridors were packed! Our Marketing Director had created a beach scene backdrop and kept the audience lively during the one hour program. The people who were present knew they were going to win the initial prizes, but the Grand Prize winner was not present. We are considering the rule that the Grand Prize winner needs to be present for our next Bingo promotion. I will be contacting you in the Spring!" for that.