How Ignite2x, a Brand Marketing Agency, Uses ShortStack to Achieve Exceptional Results for Zebra Pen

Have you ever tried something new in your marketing strategy but didn’t see the expected results? This isn’t an uncommon scenario. From online ads to sponsorships to lead generation campaigns, it’s normal for a new initiative to take a bit of time to ramp up. In fact, it takes five to seven impressions for someone to remember your brand, which is why consistency is essential to your marketing strategy.

Consistency and creativity are two elements that lead to successful lead generation campaigns. Instead of hopping from idea to idea, try devoting a bit of time and multiple iterations of the same concept to refining your strategy. For example, if you run a sweepstakes one month, try another contest or sweepstakes the next month, but tweak a few things, like the theme or how you promote it. Customers will more likely engage when they learn what to expect from a brand.

One ShortStack customer who has seen incredible results through consistent yet creative lead generation campaigns is Ignite2x. Ignite2x is a deeply experienced brand marketing agency that uses consumer insights, strategic thinking, and great design to produce customized solutions for its clients. They offer full-service marketing and advertising for clients across multiple industries and product categories.

Ignite2x’s use of ShortStack for Zebra Pen’s lead generation

Ignite2x has used ShortStack for lead generation contests and giveaways since 2012. They have successfully leveraged ShortStack for many clients. One such client is Zebra Pen, the consumer writing instruments manufacturer.  

Over the years, Ignite2x has collected hundreds of thousands of entries for Zebra Pen using ShortStack. Ryan Lindsay, Account Executive at Ignite2x, primarily uses ShortStack to run contests for prizes and sample giveaways. However, over time they have expanded their use of the platform to include building sample pages and collecting phone numbers for SMS marketing.

To begin their contest marketing strategy for Zebra Pen, Ignite2x ran three to four contests per year. After successfully hosting sweepstakes and contests consistently throughout the year, Ignite2x increased the number of lead generation campaigns. Now, Zebra Pen hosts 12 to 18 contests and sweepstakes every year. In addition to monthly campaigns, they hold a month-long 25 Days of Christmas giveaway in December.

Lindsay mentioned they like the templating system ShortStack offers, and you can see why it’s beneficial to them. He said, “Cloning campaigns and lists is useful and saves time and work.”

A sweet (and successful) sweepstakes partnership

One particularly successful campaign was their “Add Color to Your Spring, Peeps & Pens!” sweepstakes. 

During prime Peeps season (April 6 to April 30, 2022), Zebra Pen teamed up with Peeps to give away four prize packs. The prize pack included colorful Zebra Pen products, such as their SARASA Clip Gel Retractable pens and KIRARICH Glitter Highlighters, and their tasty Peeps treats and swag, like Marshmallow Chicks and a cool Express Your Peepsonality® journal. One random winner was chosen from the entries submitted each week. 

After creating the sweepstakes in ShortStack, the Ignite2x team embedded the sweepstakes on the Zebra Pen store page to help drive traffic to the website. To promote the sweepstakes, Ignite2x boosted content on social media, devised a targeted email campaign, and crafted a press release highlighting the Zebra Pen partnership with Peeps. 

Ignite2x’s goals for the contest were to increase sign-ups, boost brand awareness and drive new customers to the new Zebra Pen store page, and boy, did they meet those goals!

Over the month-long sweepstakes collected 64,208 entries, with 33% (21,248) of those entries being unique. Entrants could submit entries once per week, so repeat entries indicate thousands of people kept the contest and Zebra Pen top of mind and returned at least once to enter again. According to Lindsay, there were also 52,479 unique click-throughs to Zebra Pen content, resulting in 12,451 new users to their website.

Lindsay said the Ignite2x team was “somewhat surprised at the popularity of this particular product collaboration. It now has us thinking about other “out-of-the-box” initiatives and campaigns.”

This off-beat partnership between Zebra Pen and Peeps was indeed a hit. Ignite2x laid the groundwork for this contest’s success. By consistently offering fun giveaways and contests to Zebra Pen customers, Ignite2x could meet its goals and deliver a memorable campaign for its client. Furthermore, using ShortStack saves the Ignite2x team time creating and administering contests, giving them extra time to focus on creative strategies for their clients.