Taunton Press is partnering with paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore & Co. to introduce a national sweepstakes promotion for its new Inspired House magazine.
The promotion, called “Inspired by the Perfect Color,” runs through Aug. 31 in the retailer's more than 2,040 stores nationwide. Store customers are offered a risk-free issue of Inspired House or Fine Homebuilding magazine through mail-in certificates as a thank-you for buying paint.
“The objective is to generate targeted awareness and subscriptions,” said Jamie Klein, vice president of Taunton agency Source Marketing, Westport, CT.
Launched in October from Taunton's Newtown, CT, base, Inspired House is a bimonthly magazine with a rate base of 180,000. With a cover price of $3.95, the title is aimed at homeowners who want their homes to reflect their individual styles. It is part of a Taunton magazine stable that includes Fine Homebuilding, Fine Cooking, Threads, Fine Gardening and Fine Woodworking.
To enter the sweepstakes, customers can complete the tear sheets available at participating Benjamin Moore store locations, by mail or on the Web site at www.inspiredhouse.com/getinspired.
The grand prize is a free design consultation by an accredited decorator or architect for the room of the winner's choice. Also included is a $500 gift certificate for Benjamin Moore paint and paint contractor of the winner's choice, a $1,000 Spiegel catalog gift certificate and a free one-year subscription to Inspired House.
The three first prizes are a $500 Spiegel catalog gift certificate and a $100 gift certificate for Benjamin Moore paint. The 50 second prizes include Taunton's new editions of Do-It-Yourself books.
Taunton used Benjamin Moore for a special reason: “Because of the exposure we could get in a very targeted atmosphere and because of their retail stores,” Klein said.
Other promotions supported this drive to create buzz for Inspired House in an increasingly competitive shelter title category. For instance, Inspired House is being distributed in 1,400 inns nationwide. Innkeepers receive a subscription, and copies are kept in each room.
Source Marketing, whose clients include Time Warner Cable, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., America Online and Mattel, previously ran another retail program with Bed Bath & Beyond for Inspired House. Again, the retail distribution helped.
“It worked,” Klein said. “It was quite successful in raising awareness as well as in collecting names for follow-up by direct mail by Taunton to enter a sweepstakes to get a free issue.”
