CONTESTS AND INCENTIVES
Contest, sweepstakes, giveaways, raffles, etc., are wonderful ways to engage your audience and we want to help you use them. There are legal considerations that need to be taken into account when engaging in these activities. To avoid endangering the university or the status of your social media pages, read the following guidelines before you attempt to hold a contest.
How This Practice Helps Achieve Your Marketing and Communication Goals
- Promotions (giveaways, raffles, etc.), when structured appropriately, can be an effective component of marketing and communications plans.
- These activities can help in increasing faculty, staff, student, and/or community participation in a wide variety of university-related activities.
- As detailed below, such promotions are subject to many regulations. Any university department or unit interested in using promotions must contact Public Relations and Marketing Communications and, as applicable, Legal Affairs.
- Public Relations and Marketing Communications, and Legal Affairs, will be able to structure promotions that satisfy applicable laws and guidelines while also meeting university department and unit needs.
Legal, Ethical, Security and Approval
- There are many rules associated with the use of promotions. In addition to complying with the laws of the State of Georgia, promotions must satisfy requirements related to advertising, taxation and prizes.
- For promotions advertised or conducted through social media (specifically Facebook), there are numerous other requirements and prohibitions for university departments and units.
- Promotions should not be conducted without consultation with and approval from Public Relations and Marketing Communications and, as applicable, the Office of Legal Affairs.
Examples
- https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php (see section E.)
Contact Us
Assistance Planning and Guidelines
Contact Terry Coniglio, director of content strategy in Public Relations and Marketing Communications, at least two months prior to the proposed promotion to discuss your plans and to obtain the university’s guidelines on the use of such promotions.
Terry Conglio, tconiglio@gsu.edu, 404-413-1356
Assistance Drafting Official Rules
If official rules need to be drafted for the proposed promotion, or other legal issues become involved in the promotion, Bharath Parthasarathy, associate general counsel in legal affairs, will be brought into the discussion.
Barath Parthasarathy, bparthasarathy@gsu.edu, 404-413-0500