Instant Win for Online Contest: the Avocados From Mexico case study

instant win

Instant Win mechanics for online contests and social media giveaways: how do they work? And what do technology experts recommend?

In a moment, we’ll dive into the role of Instant Win games within online contest campaigns, often connected to marketing strategies. But first, let’s clarify the key concepts we’ll cover.

What do we mean by “Instant Win”?

“Instant win” literally means an immediate win. It refers to a type of contest, game, or promotion where participants can find out right away whether they’ve won a prize, without waiting for a future draw.

In these cases, the result is determined instantly at the moment of participation through dedicated mechanisms. Scratch cards or a “Wheel of Fortune” are classic examples of Instant Win dynamics.

This type of mechanic is also widely used online, so you’ll find many campaigns built around instant win for online contest logic, supported by different gaming solutions.

What is an online contest?

An online contest is a digital initiative where people participate for the chance to win prizes. Typically, participants must complete a series of actions or steps to be eligible to be selected as winners. Online, those actions may include answering questions, uploading photos, buying a product, or playing a video game.

At the end of the campaign, one or more winners are drawn or selected and receive the prizes defined in advance.

In this article, we’ll focus on instant win for online contest mechanics. To explore the topic in detail, we’ll use the Avocados From Mexico campaign as a case study, specifically, the Spin & Win we developed for it.

The Avocados From Mexico campaign

instant win for online contest

Avocados From Mexico is a non-profit marketing organization that promotes the export of Mexican avocados to the United States.

The project originated from a collective of farmers dedicated to avocado cultivation, a specialty of the Mexican territory.

It includes two international organizations: APEAM, with more than 34,000 Mexican producers, and MHAIA, with U.S. importers-working together to support a value-driven economy.

The strategy for the new campaign was built around an online contest, supported by a well-known spokesperson: Jesse Palmer.

Instant Win winners received 10 autographed balls signed by the sports celebrity.

The promotion was split into two phases: Instant Win and Final Draw. Let’s take a closer look.

The Instant Win game for the online contest

instant win per concorsi on line

The Instant Win game for the Avocados From Mexico online contest was designed and developed by Code This Lab in collaboration with 270B, a U.S. communication agency we work with on many international projects.

The gameplay is a Spin & Win: you press a button to “spin” the wheel and try to win a prize.

In this case, the prizes included:

  • A ball signed by Jesse Palmer
  • Autographed digital photos by Jesse Palmer
  • Avocado recipes
  • Discount coupons for the official website

Thanks to a back end optimized for the campaign, it was possible to manage multiple dynamics, including:

  • Forecasting the win distribution pace
  • Managing winners’ data and contact details
  • Tracking the total number of plays (regardless of outcome)

The Instant Win game was integrated directly into the Avocados From Mexico website, allowing all U.S. adults to participate in the instant win for online contest experience.os From Mexico, permettendo a tutti gli utenti maggiorenni degli Stati Uniti di giocare on line.

Final draw

Users who shared the initiative and their results on social media could also enter the final draw, with prizes such as:

  • A large-screen TV
  • A Sonos audio system
  • A beverage dispenser
  • A chips-and-guacamole bowl signed by Avocados From Mexico
  • A day of services from a professional cheforno

Expert tips

The success of an instant win for online contest depends on many factors—especially those tied to data security and technology. That’s why it’s essential to choose a technology partner capable of supporting the project end-to-end and responding quickly to any issues that may arise.

Our experience in this field is extensive: we’ve been developing gaming solutions and software since 2009, with a client portfolio that includes many international brands. Based on the projects we’ve handled, we know the risks (and the solutions) that can emerge online.

A tech partner’s job is to react fast-both to technical issues and to security concerns.

Technical issues

By technical issues, we mainly mean access and usability problems such as login difficulties, registration errors, website malfunctions, and so on.

Security-related issues

Security issues are the elements that can threaten the integrity of an online contest: for example, external attacks by skilled hackers may manipulate the final results; meanwhile, bot participation, programmed to play endlessly instead of real people, can help bots claim the prizes.

Preventing these obstacles requires the know-how of an experienced, reliable team.