Could the 'daily contest' website be the next internet craze to sweep the Middle East?
, or 'daily deal' sites are now
in the region. But the upcoming launch of the daily contest, or
website Kezoo in the UAE marks an interesting new marketing model for regional brands.
Kezoo, which is currently running in beta in the Benelux countries, offers visitors a different prize every day, with no fees to enter. The catch? Users must sit through a video or presentation by a featured brand, and then answer a few questions to confirm that they have understood it. Check out an example of the concept
.
The site will be launched in the UAE on August 1st in both Arabic and English, before rolling out regionally by the end of the year. It is owned by the Belgian web company
.
Like sweepstake sites in the US, Kezoo is being sold as a way for brands to engage with consumers in what is billed as a "new form of media".
"A single brand basically gets to be the centre of attention for an entire day," says Timothy Bataillie, managing director for the Mena region at Massive Media. "The daily email and the Kezoo page, top to bottom, are fully branded to the product they want to showcase."
(A daily email? Given the volume of unsolicited emails we receive from group-buying websites,
hopes Kezoo will only send emails to users that sign up).
As a promotional tool, the sweepstakes model is certainly interesting, as it offers brands a measurable way to engage with consumers, and a transparency that is lacking with some other forms of media.
Plugged In is not aware of any other dedicated sweepstakes sites operating in the region. (Though do
us if you know of any).
But if the group-buying craze is anything to go by, expect a number of clones to follow the launch of Kezoo. Not to mention even more email clutter in your inbox.
