The Bluewick giveaway was built around three questions, each aimed at a different part of how a candle gets made: the memory, the fragrance and the jar.
Table of Contents
This week we’re featuring Bluewick and sharing the love by giving out 3 Bluewick candles. Below are the various ways you can win:
- Facebook Raffle: The inspiration for the fragrances for Bluewick candles are from Art’s memories as a child. If you could create a fragrance to represent a special memory, what memory would you select and what fragrances would you use? Join our Facebook Page and earn a raffle entry when you post your answer on our wall by 2/13/11.
- YouTube Raffle: Subscribe to our YouTube channel and earn 1 raffle entry when you answer the question in our Bluewick YouTube video. You must post your answer as a comment to the video in YouTube by 2/13/11.
- Blog Raffle: Bluewick changed the packaging on most of their collections to an clear jar with screw top lid. The new design is efficient and eco-friendly. If you were to create a poured candle line, what would you use as your container? Post your answer as a comment to this blog post by 2/13/11 for 1 raffle entry.
We’ll announce the 3 raffle winners on Monday, February 14th. Good luck!
We will ship the prize packages to any continental US address. Fragrances vary.
The three ways to enter
We gave out 3 Bluewick candles and offered a Facebook raffle, a YouTube raffle and a blog raffle. Each asked a question and each earned one entry. The Facebook and YouTube entries closed on 2/13/11, and the winners were announced on Monday, February 14th.
We shipped the prize packages to any continental US address, and fragrances varied.
Entries stacked up: one for the Facebook answer, one for the YouTube comment and one for the blog comment. A fan who did all three had three chances. The YouTube step asked fans to subscribe to our channel and answer the question in our Bluewick video.
Winners were announced on Monday, February 14th, which is Valentine’s Day, so the timing felt sweet. Fragrances varied, which added a pleasant surprise.
The Bluewick giveaway was one of our busiest weeks, with three questions across three places.
What the Bluewick giveaway asked
The Facebook question came from the brand’s own story. The fragrances were inspired by Art’s childhood memories, so we asked what special memory you would turn into a fragrance and what scents you would use.
The blog question was about packaging. Bluewick had changed most collections to an efficient, eco-friendly clear jar with a screw top lid, so we asked what container you would choose for a poured candle line.
I would start with a place rather than a feeling. A kitchen, a porch or a garden is easier to translate into notes than a mood like happiness.
The blog question had a design angle. A clear jar with a screw top lid is efficient and eco-friendly, since the container can be reused or recycled, and a lid keeps dust out. What would you choose instead, glass, tin, ceramic or something stranger?
Fragrance lines with a story behind them are easier to remember. Bluewick’s scents come from Art’s childhood memories, so each candle starts with a real moment and not a trend report. If you had to describe a container in one word, start there and work backward to the design.
The Bluewick giveaway questions were open-ended on purpose, so every answer felt different.
Why raffles like this are fun
The Bluewick giveaway worked because it gave everyone a way in. A quiet person could leave a short blog comment, and a chatty one could write a long post on Facebook.
I like giveaways that ask a question instead of just collecting names. They let people show some imagination, and they teach a brand’s story at the same time.
The Bluewick giveaway also showed how many ways there are to join a community. Some people like writing, others like video, and others just want to follow along.
Three winners were drawn, which feels more generous than one. More people go home happy, and more people tell their friends. Giveaways also reward curiosity, because you try a brand you might not have considered.
I enjoy imagining the winners opening the box and pulling out an unfamiliar candle. A small, happy surprise is worth more than it seems.
Bluewick candles, with their clear jars and screw top lids, are a nice example of packaging that tries to waste less. That may be the quiet reason the blog question appealed to so many readers.
The Bluewick giveaway gave readers a reason to talk to one another.
Entering any giveaway wisely
Read each rule. Many raffles allow one entry per method, so you can enter in several places. Keep track of deadlines, and never share personal details you are not comfortable posting.
The Wikipedia page for the raffle explains the basic idea, which is simple: a draw among those who entered. The rest is about being friendly and having fun.
For other giveaways we ran, see the Ecoya Giveaway and the D. L. & Co Candle Giveaway.
Be wary of any giveaway that asks for payment, bank details or a password. A real raffle only needs a name and a shipping address for the winner.
If you missed the Bluewick giveaway, the lesson still applies. Enter often, write thoughtfully, and treat the prize as a bonus.
Give yourself a reminder for the deadline, as dates like 2/13/11 arrive fast. Many missed entries are simply forgotten ones. Share the news with friends who love candles, because the conversation is livelier with company.
I still think the Bluewick giveaway format is a good model for small shops.
Look back at the Bluewick giveaway and you will see how much fun a simple question can be.
Come back and tell us how bluewick giveaway worked for you.
Thanks for reading about bluewick giveaway. Tell me what you think in the comments.
Header photo: ENieves1, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
