I saw a Forum discussion topic at SweepsAdvantage \/ SweepstakesPlus that really grabbed my attention.\u00a0 The title of the thread is “Asked To Audition For The Sweepstakes TV Pilot”.\u00a0 To paraphrase, apparently TLC (The Learning Channel) is producing a show called “High Stakes Sweepers” that is likely to be similar to their “Extreme Couponing” show.<\/p>\n
Here are my thoughts.\u00a0 Many of us use coupons, but not to the extent that the people profiled in the Couponing show do.\u00a0 It is impressive how much they can shave off their grocery bills.\u00a0 It also makes them look like loons when they send their kids in dumpster diving for Sunday inserts, or have a special room to house their 700 tubes of toothpaste.\u00a0 I'm sure it also alerts store owners that accepting an unlimited number of coupons could cost them a bundle.\u00a0 The show has probably caused plenty of store managers to rethink their coupon policies.<\/p>\n
What does this mean for sweepstakes?\u00a0 Hard to say.\u00a0 Although people love the idea of “something for nothing”, quite a lot of them won't be willing to put the time in.\u00a0 I don't foresee an upsurge in dedicated sweepers.\u00a0 Sponsors do make changes over time, but again, I don't see how a sweepstakes show could trigger anything drastic.\u00a0 In the early days of mailed sweeps, I'm told you could win by placing your entry in a gaudy envelope.\u00a0 To maintain fairness, you'll notice that postal sweeps will now specify what kind of\u00a0envelope they will accept.\u00a0 The internet brought about other changes, like the inclusion of captcha codes on the entry forms to make sure that the form was being completed by a human.<\/p>\n
The sponsors already know we're here.\u00a0 My hope is that “High Stakes Sweepers” doesn't make us look like desperate idiots to the people who are discovering us for the first time.\u00a0 If we're lucky, sponsors will appreciate the exposure and offer us even more sweepstakes<\/a>!<\/p>