In the ever-evolving world of business, companies are always looking for ways to boost their performance and outperform their competitors. And what if we told you there’s a thrilling way to do just that? By tapping into the power of online competitions, businesses can unlock new levels of growth and success.

Competitions can spark innovation, showcase creativity, or push boundaries with hackathons. Elevate your company to new heights with the potential impact of online competitions. This article explores this exhilarating world, guiding you through building your first competition on Untap.

The Power of Online Competitions

Competitions can massively impact your company’s growth and success. Just imagine the possibilities:

Innovation: Competitions encourage innovation by providing a platform for employees, customers, and other stakeholders to share ideas and solutions. This can lead to the development of new products, services, and processes that help you stay ahead of the competition.

Collaboration: Competitions foster collaboration among team members, departments, and even different companies. Participants can leverage their collective skills and knowledge to achieve better results than they would individually.

Technology: Competitions help you leverage the latest technologies and tools. For example, a hackathon can provide developers with access to new APIs, SDKs, and other resources to build better software.

Customer Engagement: Competitions also engage customers and build brand loyalty. Involving customers in design and development helps companies create products and services that better meet their needs and preferences.

Types of Competitions

Excited about building your first competition? Great! Let’s explore the different types of competitions that companies can run:

1. Innovation challenges: These competitions encourage people to come up with fresh ideas and solutions for specific business problems. They can be incredibly useful for companies seeking out-of-the-box solutions to overcome challenges. Innovation challenges create an opportunity for employees, customers, and other stakeholders to share their ideas and creativity, leading to the development of new products, services, and processes.

2. Creative contests: These competitions focus on the design and creative aspects of a product or service, such as a logo or video production contest. They can help tap into the creativity and skills of your audience while creating buzz and interest around your brand. Contests like these can also help build brand recognition and loyalty, ultimately leading to increased visibility, sales, and success.

3. Hackathons: These competitions are focused on software development and can be a great way to tap into the skills of developers and technical experts. Participants can learn from industry leaders and gain valuable experience in a competitive setting. Hackathons also offer the opportunity for networking and career advancement in the tech industry.

Who Runs Competitions Regularly?

Several companies have already recognized the potential of online competitions and organize them regularly on different platforms. Here are a few examples:

  1. Google: Google hosts several online coding competitions, such as Code Jam, Kickstart, and Hash Code.
  2. Airbnb: Airbnb hosts an annual design contest known as the Airbnb Design Awards. It is open to designers from all over the world.
  3. Intel: Intel organizes several hackathons and coding competitions throughout the year, including the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
  4. Lego: Lego runs several building challenges throughout the year, including the Lego Ideas competition. This competition invites fans to submit their own designs for Lego sets.
  5. PepsiCo: PepsiCo hosts a variety of competitions, including the PepsiCo Change the Game Challenge. This challenge invites students to submit their ideas for sustainable food and beverage products.
  6. Netflix: Netflix hosts several hackathons and coding competitions throughout the year. One of the most notable events is the Netflix Hack Day, which encourages employees to pitch new ideas and solutions for the company.

These companies are not just running online competitions, they are driving innovation, collaboration, and creativity while building brand awareness and loyalty. By engaging with customers, employees, and other stakeholders through these competitions, they are tapping into a whole new world of potential.

Ready to Build Your First Competition? Follow These Steps:

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Well, building your first online competition is an exhilarating adventure! But don’t forget, running a successful competition requires careful planning and management. So, let’s get started on building your competition today!

  1. Define your goals and objectives: The first step in building a successful online competition is to define what you hope to achieve with it. Are you looking to drive innovation, engage customers, or build brand awareness? Defining your goals and objectives will help you create a competition that is aligned with your business priorities.
  2. Choose the right type of competition: As mentioned earlier, there are many different types of online competitions, including innovation challenges, creative contests, and hackathons. Choose the type of competition that is best suited to your goals and objectives.
  3. Determine your target audience: Who is your competition aimed at? Are you targeting employees, customers, or external stakeholders? Knowing your target audience will help you design a competition that meets their needs and interests.
  4. Establish clear rules and guidelines: To ensure that your competition is fair and transparent, it’s important to establish clear rules and guidelines. These should include eligibility requirements, entry deadlines, and judging criteria.
  5. Choose the right platform: Untap is a competition management platform that is intuitive, easy to use, and gives you full control over your programs. It helps you manage everything in one place. Untap has features that help you plan, launch, and manage your competition more effectively. These include a user-friendly homepage builder, customizable templates, automated scoring, and real-time analytics. Untap streamlines the competition process and ensures fair and objective results. Learn more about Untap’s features here or by reading this article.
  6. Promote your competition: To get people to participate in your competition, it’s important to advertise it through various channels like social media and email marketing. Emphasize the advantages of taking part, such as the chance to win prizes, gain recognition, or showcase abilities.
  7. Engage with participants: During the competition, it’s important to communicate with participants using various channels like social media and email. Regular updates should be provided, and any questions or concerns should be addressed with support and guidance as needed. Untap makes this communication easy and smooth thanks to its bulk messaging and chat support features.
  8. Evaluate the results: After the competition is over, evaluate the results and measure the impact of the competition on your business goals and objectives. Use this feedback to improve future competitions.

By following these steps, you can build a successful online competition that drives innovation, engagement, and growth for your business.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started on building your first online competition. Book a free demo with one of our team members today!