Rewarding people for doing good is an effective tactic to motivate and increase participation and engagement.
First, decide who should win a prize.
Prizes can be awarded to top teams or top individuals.
If you’re running a Goal-based challenge, prizes can also be awarded to those who reach their goal(s).
Other fun prizes include a raffle for everyone who participates, the best photo or caption, and any other excuse to reward mindful behavior!
Next, decide what to give each winner. This is totally up to you and can range from branded swag to an extra week of vacation to a donation to the winner's favorite charity. Remember that the more valuable the prize, the harder the participants will play.
What prizes should I award?
Is your organization naturally competitive? Are there existing rivalries between teams?
Often just the pride of being at the top of the leaderboard is motivation, so your prizes do not need to be extravagant.
If your organization needs a bit more motivation, choose prizes that anyone and everyone can use:
As close to cash as possible is the best bet or something you know no one has or anyone can use
Gift cards, vacation days, planting mangroves or corals in honor of the winners
Food is a great motivator, think catered lunch for the winning team, gift cards to nearby restaurants or popular lunch spots
How much should a prize be worth?
When deciding on a monetary value for an individual prize, consider how much you want to “up” the competition and get people involved in the action. The more valuable the prize, the more excitement and engagement you can expect to see from your participants. But we're not here to tell you how much to spend on prizes, that's for you to decide.
Can I check that the winners are eligible before awarding prizes?
As the Challenge host, you'll make the final determination regarding awarding prizes. When the Challenge ends, you can review all the winners, and if they are eligible, email them and notify them through the app. Note: Each administrator is responsible for ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.
Add prize information to the "How to Win" challenge section to keep participants informed.
Eligibility examples:
In a school Challenge, teachers can play but prizes are only for students.
Members of the Challenge planning committee are not eligible for prizes
In ongoing Challenges, a user can only win a prize once a month, year, etc.
Sometimes the fame, glory, and prizes can drive participants to bend the rules and cheat, which lands them in penalty boxes (aka timeouts). Click here to read more about penalty boxes and how to handle such situations.
How much activity should I expect during a Challenge with prizes?
So, you've decided to host a Challenge for your organization and sweeten the pot with some awesome prizes! Here's an overview of what we've learned, what you can expect, and what features the app has in place to keep your challenge fair and fun.
Early Stage of the Challenge:
Some like to sprint out of the gate.
Some want to log every sustainable or healthy thing they’ve ever done. They jump to the lead while others question their Actions. This may annoy a few, but it never lasts.
Mid Stage of the Challenge:
The middle weekend always has a lull. This little rest allows participants to reenergize themselves for the final sprint.
Typical Challenges will have between 5 and 10 logs per participant per day. This is fun during a challenge but not what is expected to continue after the challenge.
Final Stage of the Challenge:
By this point, those that feel they have a chance to win are re-energized and become very active.
Hyper-activity is when folks stretch the rules and log almost anything. The platform has throttles that begin by reminding participants of fair play. It also includes time-outs and penalty boxes for those who don't take the warning to heart.