Case studies: successful Instagram contests that drove brand growth

How creative challenges on Instagram helped brands engage audiences, generate content, and fuel long-term brand growth

Contests have always been a powerful marketing tool, but Instagram gave them a new kind of momentum. Through the platform, these campaigns grew from general tag and share giveaways to true competitions where people showcased their creativity for a chance to win something (or even just for the fun of it).

When done right, Instagram contests can significantly elevate a brand by creating lasting brand loyalty, rich user-generated content (UGC), and measurable brand growth.

In today’s post, we’ll look at four Instagram case studies that show how well-crafted Instagram contests can help a brand spark meaningful growth and connect with its audience.

Starbucks: #WhiteCupContest

In 2014, some customers began doodling on the mostly white Starbucks coffee cups and sharing them on social media. When the company saw this, it decided to take things a notch higher by embracing the challenge and encouraging its customers to tap into their creative minds.

In the challenge, participants were required to create designs on the Starbucks coffee cup – anything from lines to bold graphics – and post on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #WhiteCupContest. The winner would then have their design used on a special edition of Starbucks cups for a year.

This challenge attracted over 4,000 entries and millions of impressions in 3 weeks, which made it go viral. In the fourth quarter, the company reported record Q4 sales.

ASOS: #AsSeenOnMe

Instagram and the fashion culture are intertwined, and fashion brand ASOS is the perfect example of this. Unlike most brands that run limited-time campaigns, ASOS has managed to create one of the most recognizable and long-running campaigns with #AsSeenOnMe.

In the contest, ASOS shoppers are encouraged to style and post photos of themselves wearing ASOS clothing with the tag #AsSeenOnMe. But instead of offering gifts, the prize is usually posted on the official page, which now has grown to 14 million followers.

But within the ongoing contest, ASOS has, over time, layered in some occasional themed contests and giveaways to elevate the fun. The challenge started in 2014 and is still running, and it’s widely attributed to ASOS brand growth. Today, it has over 1.3 million posts.

GoPro: photo of the day

GoPro has also had continued success with its Photo of the Day challenge, which has managed to create an active creator community. In the campaign, the company encourages GoPro users to capture images that tell a story, spark emotion, or simply highlight the camera’s capabilities in extreme or beautiful environments.

Typically, the most incredible photos are featured on the company’s main social channels and the website as Photo of the Day. The company also throws in several themed campaigns where winners receive cash prizes, gear upgrades, and even ad sponsorships.

Thanks to the #GoPro campaign, the company has seen continued year-on-year brand growth. It now has 9.5m posts across its different hashtags, and the main channel has grown to 20m followers.

Zoom: virtual background contest campaign

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Zoom certainly became a lifeline for remote work, classrooms, family gatherings, and even weddings. And as the user base continued to grow, Zoom realized that the virtual background feature was one of the most-loved features as it brought a lighter side to the often-serious video conferencing.

The company then launched its Virtual Background Contest, a campaign it used to celebrate creativity. Users were required to showcase their creative backgrounds and post on social media, mainly Instagram, with the hashtag #ZoomBackgroundChallenge.

As the prizes, Zoom offered merchandise, gift cards, subscription upgrades, and social media recognition. The campaign went viral as there were many hilarious, clever, and wildly creative submissions. It established Zoom as a household name and helped build a community around the then-newly popular brand.

Ready to design a contest that grows your brand?

Promosfera has helped many local and international brands craft promotional campaigns – from prize draws to skill-based competitions – that are creative, compliant, and built for global impact. Partner with us today, and let’s make something unforgettable.