• Services

Online Contest Management



WHERE WE CAN HELP

Beyond competition software, Skild offers a range of associated services. Some of our customers use the software alone, others retain our services, but most need a combination of online contest management software and support services. Think of Skild as an extension of the project team – when resources are scarce, we seek to fill the gaps with creative, technical and operational talent who have direct experience with online contests. We’re comfortable working directly with the client, indirectly through an agency of record, or in situations where there are multiple 3rd party vendors with loosely defined roles and dependent tasks. Any which way, our goals are closely aligned with those of the contest organizer: to administer an excellent contest experience. So maybe our services will come in handy, maybe not. But if you think you might need some additional help, you’re in the right section.

OUR FOUR SERVICE AREAS

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CONSULTING

Skild’s leadership team is chock-full of contest experts and prize PhD’s, several with degrees from the X PRIZE Foundation, a world-class prize institute best known for stimulating private commercial spaceflight. With more than 40 years collective expertise living and breathing incentive competitions, we often share our knowledge and experience with others – and we’re happy to do it. Our philosophy: there’s no cookie-cutter template to running a successful contest, only collective experiences, good and bad, which add up to form best practices. We’ve documented these best online contest management practices over the years, and we continue to refine them with each new competition. So whether you’re starting a new contest, looking to refresh an existing one, or just need some guidance in a specific area like rules development, there’s a good chance we can add valuable, perhaps time-saving insights.

program strategy

Consulting Services

  • program strategy
  • rules development
  • marketing and PR strategy
  • technical consulting
  • research and analysis
  • security and fraud consultation
  • custom accelerated design workouts
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MARKETING & CREATIVE

Want to learn how to successfully market a contest? Run one yourself, tweak the format, and repeat over and over again. Or if you’re short on time, you can always hire Skild’s crackpot team of contest marketers.

We know a lot of people in a variety of industries, but we would never assume to know your audience as well as you. Nor would we push a community of “solvers” that don’t fit the target participant profile. So we approach the marketing and creative process with authenticity and pragmatism: who are you trying to reach, what do you want from them, and why should they care? With a little up-front learning, we can recommend some crafty outreach strategies that will have would-be participants lining up to enter your contest. It’s a bit more structured than that, but you get the point.

creative direction

Marketing & Creative Services

  • social media marketing
  • creative design
  • copy writing
  • video production
  • creative direction
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CONTEST OPERATIONS

If there’s one thing we know really well, it’s contest operations. Most of our methods, workflows and processes are contained within our contest platform. But as great as Skild is at automating administrative tasks, human intervention is still required (at least for the remainder of the year). What are the overall tasks and responsibilities of the operations team, and when must they be completed? Are all 2,000 videos entries compliant with the submission guidelines in the official rules? What eligibility, tax or publicity release forms must be signed prior to awarding prize money? Based on the metrics, what should we do differently next time? These are just a few of the questions that may arise, so it’s important to address them at the right time: before they become a concern. Having learned the hard way, we know how a seemingly minor operational misstep can become a PR nightmare. In this case, we act like a personal ski instructor, honing your technique and laying the foundation for many years of safe, enjoyable runs – kinda cheesy, but it’s a really good analogy.

project management

Contest Operations Services

  • project management
  • compliance administration
  • prize procurement and fulfillment
  • program measurement and analysis
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DEVELOPMENT & SUPPORT

Because we create software, we’re often asked if we can build microsites to spec, customize registration forms, or add a new feature that does x, y or z. And in many cases the answer is yes. Adding a few hours of standby technical or end-user support is of little consequence. But as the infinitely wise Yoda says, “stay true to your purpose must.” In order to create excellent contest experiences, Yoda sometimes makes us turn down work that takes us off course (what can we say, he’s a bit of a perfectionist). With this in mind, we love big, complex, challenging projects that add new experiences and stimulate our neural pathways. The morale of the story is, please don’t be afraid to ask, and take no offense if we can’t comply. Admittedly, we’re a bit protective of our developers – which is why we’re able to offer on time delivery, rapid turnarounds, and a killer product to boot.

technical support

Development & Support Services

  • user experience design
  • web development
  • software engineering
  • technical support
  • end-user support