Ace Hardware Contest

Is Brilliant Marketing

This morning my daily newspaper carried a story headlined “Contest to decide owner of Ace Hardware.” That’s a grabber, but Ace is not on the block. The lead paragraph explains that aspiring entrepreneurs are offered a chance to own and operate their own Ace Hardware store if they enter the Dream Ace Contest.

The beauty of the program is the interaction needed between hopefuls and the Contest’s web site at www.dreamacehardware.com . They’re not just going to yank a name out of a bowl. Entering requires completing an online quiz in 45 minutes, and writing three short essays within two hours.

The prize is worth over $1 million and the winner won’t have to wait forever for the good news. The winner will be announced by March 15.

In addition to all the free space the program is getting, two 45-foot buses are zipping about the Nation promoting the contest and stopping at Ace Hardware stores in 40 markets to encourage people to visit the web site and enter.

There will be many winners for this program. Some contestants will surf beyond the entry pages to find out more about owning an Ace Hardware store. Others will find out more about Ace hardware products and services. Ace’s marcom folks will pick up gems of useful information from the essay questions. And the whole program will reinforce the brand with a continued stream of good public relations.

It’s Fun to Enter

This afternoon (purely for research) I entered the Contest. The time limits to complete the quiz and essay questions are generous. Yet, they reveal a lot about who Ace Hardware wants to carry their name.

Tip for the Little Guy

Enter the Contest. You might win an Ace Hardware store. And you will certainly win an appreciation for the magnitude of this program and its ability to leverage many channels to build and reinforce the Ace brand.