practices, control of winning game pieces, oversight of the destruction of printed waste material used to produce winning game pieces, secure handling of winners, and the execution of background checks on winners claiming high-value prizes.

There has been a migration over recent years for marketers to tap the power of the Internet to promote their products and services. While the Internet has become a great informational tool, marketers have quickly learned that success on the Internet most often begins and ends in the tangible “bricks and mortar” world. Internet promotions and games are fun and engaging they can even be informative. However, if they’re not moving the sales meter in an upward fashion, they’re generally missing the mark. Consequently, most marketers have come to recognize the value of a hybrid approach to Internet promotions and games. That is, consumers are called to action to make a purchase of the marketer’s product and then are directed to the Internet in order to complete a game play or entry registration. Not surprisingly, promotion security is an integral part of this promotion process. Security of the game, both offline and online, is critical to the success of any promotion. The pillars of promotion security that exist offline are easily translated online so that marketers can rest assured that their games and contests are being offered on the Internet in a legally compliant manner with promotion integrity being fully protected.

Promotion security can take on many other forms which may not always be readily considered by marketers. For example, a resourceful promotion security partner can provide services for prize patrols, similar to Publisher’s Clearinghouse, for instances when the actual awarding of the prize is the main feature of the promotional event. Additionally, a well-connected promotion security provider can provide promotion event security where celebrities, sports figures, musicians or other high-profile media types may be present to interact with winners of a promotion. In these instances, your promotion security provider can be a liaison with the promotion winners and the celebrity’s staff, as well as provide  an interface role with local law enforcement  for

crowd control, traffic management and parking lot security — if necessary.

In short, promotion security is a critical and integral part of any promotion. While it’s most often a behind-the-scenes component of a marketer’s promotion, it should be one of their first considerations when developing a game or contest. The stakes are high for marketers in today’s hyper competitive marketplace. Savvy marketers know when to take risks and when to neutralize them. In the end, when offering a game or contest, the advantage goes to the marketer with a solid promotion security partner on their side. The promotion security partner can add value in numerous ways. Most importantly, a proven promotion security partner can reduce and/or eliminate risk while assuring the integrity of the promotion is kept intact. This ultimately translates into a sense of “being able to sleep at night” for the marketer. If you’re a marketer, you may want to ask yourself, “What keeps me awake at night?” If your reply is “promotion security concerns” now you know how to rest easy.

C. J. Smith is the Security Services Director for Promotion Watch, Inc., A Valassis Company. Smith provides overall security of Valassis facilities, products and personnel. He also provides security services for game of chance promotions and oversees legal compliance for client’s promotions for Promotion Watch, Inc. Since joining Promotion Watch, Inc. in 1996, Smith has become a respected resource in the industry for high tier winner game piece control & handling, on-line/off-line hybrid games, and in-store seeding strategies. He has also developed a solid reputation in consulting on compliance-related issues.

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