Toyota Gets Users to Like its Ride
Speaking of Facebook promotions, Toyota Australia is running a fun one.
It’s launching the FJ Cruiser in Australia later this month, and as part of the marketing it’s running a Facebook contest. It’s giving one lucky winner the chance to buy one of the first FJ Cruisers at a vastly reduced price, and that price will be chosen by the winner’s peers.
Like My Ride asks visitors to Like the FJ Cruiser. Liking the SUV lets visitors enter to be the one to win the discounted prize, and it also lowers the final price by $5. And as the discount rises, so does the value of the vehicle: foot mats, cargo mats and rockrails have been thrown in already, and a roof rack is just beyond the current reach.
A shopping center or retailer could easily run a contest along these lines. Rather than offering a discounted purchase, offer a prize pack. Each Like equals an entry, and when certain (realistic) milestones are reached, the prize package improves. A traditional contest discourages viral sharing – each new entry is one less chance to win. But when each new entry also makes the pot sweeter, sharing may seem like a better choice.
