How the New Mexico Lottery developed a creative way to reach new audiences with non-traditional advertising.
By Wendy Ahlm, Director of Advertising and Marketing, New Mexico Lottery
Published December 17, 2024
New Mexico Lottery’s Guy Fieri Flavortown Fortune! Scratchers presented a perfect opportunity to reach a broad new audience of people who love to eat out. Traditional advertising was an obvious choice to promote the game. But we wanted to do even more to reach new audiences in non-lottery-selling spaces with non-traditional advertising. The result? A guerrilla-marketing program with a first-of-its-kind Codeword promotion was created for the Lottery’s player promotional platform, the Promo Zone.
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How Did We Come Up With Codewords?
As a small team, New Mexico Lottery often brainstorms and discusses ideas as a group. These meetings often form informally as a group talking through a problem while attempting to figure out solutions. This discussion circled around how the Lottery could use its second-chance promotion platform, the Promo Zone, to partner with local restaurants and award prizes. But since very few New Mexico restaurants sell lottery tickets, another entry mechanism was needed.
We wanted to offer a unique entry for each participating location and wanted something easy for patrons to remember. The use of a word at each location seemed the obvious choice. This would allow for a unique identifier for each location that could not be easily guessed. Plus, the word could align with the theme of the promotion and the restaurant. This also created an opportunity for the Lottery to post signage about the game – along with the unique location “codeword” at each participating restaurant that offered patrons a chance to win a prize.
Naturally, we named it a Codeword Promotion. The only problem? The Promo Zone did not have a Codeword entry mechanism.
Program Creation
This was a new concept with endless potential for other promotions, so we reached out to the Promo Zone programmers to create this new type of entry format.
One month later, the Codeword Promotion feature was ready to use.
New Mexico could now create unlimited Codewords for any number of promotions. Upon completion, the Lottery could download all entries for each Codeword promotion, or entries by specific Codewords for each Codeword promotion. And the feature can be turned on or off to allow players to only see the feature when a Codeword promotion is active. Best of all, the Lottery can set up new promotions and their related codewords in-house in just minutes.
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Results
Now that the entry mechanism was ready, we needed participants! New Mexico restaurants were invited to participate through email and social posts from the New Mexico Restaurant Association, through social media and emails from the New Mexico Lottery, and through an invitation on a local TV show.
Restaurants interested in participating signed up via a form on the Lottery’s website. The Lottery purchased gift cards from each participating restaurant. Patrons could enter for a chance to win a gift card from the restaurant where they found the Codeword. It was a win-win-win. The New Mexico Lottery was able to advertise the Guy Fieri Scratcher in unique establishments that did not sell Lottery. Patrons at each restaurant had a chance to win a prize from a place where they like to eat. And the restaurant was rewarded with a purchase of gift card prizes.
The promotion took place March 5 through April 30, 2024, and 12 restaurants around the state stepped up to the plate. The Lottery created posters, table tents, buttons and business cards with a unique code for each location. A drawing was held for each location and the Lottery awarded 36 prizes.
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Onward!
From there, the New Mexico Lottery began to use the Codeword Promotion for other fun player promotions, creating engagement beyond the original Codeword goal of reaching new audiences in non-traditional locations.
To celebrate the 2024 Lottery Week, players entered the Codeword FUN from July 15-19, for a chance to win $20 in Lottery Bucks and a Lottery Prize Pack. It was promoted through social media, two email messages and on draw game tickets. More than 1,100 entries were received.
In August 2024, the New Mexico Lottery introduced JAWS CA$H ATTACK! Scratchers. To promote the game and award player prizes, the Lottery offered a one-day Codeword Promotion for five players to win a Lottery Prize Pack. It was promoted with social media and an email blast. More than 600 entries were received.
For Halloween, the New Mexico Lottery offered a one-day SPOOKY Codeword Promotion for 31 players to win $31 in Lottery Bucks. It was promoted on social media and with a player email. More than 750 entries were received.
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A NASCAR Powerball Playoff™ Opportunity!
Most recently, and even though New Mexico did not have a finalist at the event, the New Mexico Lottery promoted the NASCAR Powerball Playoff $1 Million giveaway that took place on November 10. The NASCAR Powerball Playoff “Viewers Win, Too!” Codeword Promotion was a way to encourage players to watch the final event and remind players to participate in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff Promotion in 2025. From November 10-12, players who entered the correct first name of the $1 million winner had a chance to win $1,000. It was promoted with social posts, player emails and on draw game tickets. More than 300 entries were received.
Codeword: HORIZON
So, what’s next, and what has been achieved? Codeword Promotions are planned for Responsible Gaming, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day. Overall, New Mexico is thrilled to have an entry mechanism that is easy, cost effective and quick to set up. Codeword Promotions allow the Lottery to reward players with prizes and create partner programs that generate advertising in non-traditional locations. And, as players learn more about Codeword Promotions, New Mexico anticipates an increase in entries.
The possibilities are Codeword: ENDLESS.
