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Case Study

www.battleforthebox.com

Online Viral Contest

U.S. Naval Institute

Annapolis, MD

Issue

The U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) wanted a following for GetTheGouge.com, an online forum for enlisted soldiers and armed forces alumni. USNI asked idea ink to create a "unique traffic generating device."

Idea

A team of creative director, writer, illustrator/animator and developers created a viral contest, BattleForTheBox.com. For the contest, Web visitors formed teams to win an X-Box 360 gaming system and the then-newly released HALO 3. Points were awarded for online activity and exchange–inviting friends, increasing sign-ups and posting on the message board. To encourage repeat visits, teams also racked up the most points for finding a hidden X-Box 360 icon within unknown locations of GetTheGouge.com.

Impact

The contest not only expanded the e-mail list by 600%, but it also built a loyal following on GetTheGouge.com, with more than 22,000 unique visitors in the first month. William Miller, editor at USNI said, "idea ink was the on-time and on-budget solution for USNI's newest Web initiative that brought a special creative effort from concept to design and execution. idea ink presented us with a traffic generating, promotional Web site that moved the needle for USNI with a measurable move forward."

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Scope

  • Best practice and content research
  • Contest development & prize fulfillment
  • Art direction, illustration and animation

Strategy

  • Multifaceted viral capabilities
  • Relevant and authentic content vetted by former Naval officers
  • Keyword strategy and blog advertising

Technology

  • Advanced off-site click tracking as part of point calculation
  • Live contest dashboard for administrators
  • Developed with Ruby on Rails web application framework

Results

  • Increased original e-mail list by 600%
  • 22,000 visits to GetTheGouge.com in one month
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