Excedrin : WYH?

CHALLENGE:
When an industry leader like Excedrin decides to run a contest with a $150,000 first-place prize, a flood of user-generated content should be expected. So, how do you handle this effectively on both the front and back ends for a strong user experience and fluid administration of a buzz-worthy national contest?

GOAL:
Built in partnership with MEC, the “Excedrin: What’s Your Headache” Contest needed to exist solely within a Facebook application. The multi-phase contest, which also was to be integrated as a tab on the Excedrin fan page, required an advanced method to validate user information within the data capture process, a multi-tiered moderation system and custom analytics.

SOLUTION:
Create a robust and user-friendly application atop a sophisticated back end.  Additionally, HYFN in conjunction with Excedrin’s marketing agency created an aesthetically rich user interface inclusive of custom animations and integration of the national TV spot.

During the first 38-day submission phase, users could enter either photos or videos into the contest. After the judging phase, the app was updated to spotlight six finalists for voting. HYFN built in the video conversion for user entries and a secure / gated voting system to prevent fraud.

RESULT:
Equipped with a moderation system to filter invalid or inappropriate submissions, the client’s judging panel chose from thousands of entries. To facilitate administration of the contest, the module included a pair of signature features.

The client could select a setting that would send one of numerous automatic emails to approved / rejected entries, explaining why they were not accepted and what to change. The copy in this email also could be customized.

To give the client a comfort level with handing off moderation to a third party, the system had tiered permissions. That is, they had the option to restrict what information was visible to the moderator.

Through the first voting stage, the contest helped generate enormous spikes in page views and Facebook likes. Building on the success of this, the second contest launched in June with new features on the app.

HYFN also installed detailed custom tracking and analytics alongside comprehensive weekly reports throughout the campaign.