calendar contest

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Yvonne G

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We've been trying to get ideas on how to make our calendar contest run smoother, have more participants and sell more units. The mods have been talking on the moderator forum, but we thought we'd like YOUR feedback too, so we're bringing the discussion here for your input. Here's what Jacqui said:


"I think (atleast for me) if the contest was started earlier, it would allow more folks to try taking a special picture for the contest. Normally be the time we start the contest, my tortoises are in for the winter and thus outdoor pictures are not going to even be an option. So what if we start the contest to run the month of September. That would give the first weeks of Oct to do the voting. Then between the last weeks of Oct and the first weeks of Nov would be a month to put it together, get it printed, and packaged for mailing by Thanksgiving.

Back to holiday themed ideas, instead of the monthly contest, we:

1) Could continue to try to allow the winners to pick the month of their choice.

2) We could have mini contests within the contest. Such as you can choose to only compete for certain months (such as winter, spring, summer, or fall). So 4 areas to choose to compete in.

3) Or the mini contests broken down by either entering the holiday or the regular contest (such as December, July, October as the holidays and then all the rest are one). So two voting parts or four depending on how it was set up.

Other ideas?"


I thought that if we require an entry fee with the fee going towards the purchase of the calendar, we would sell more calendars.

I'd like to see different pictures for the months, like 4th of july stuff for the July calendar, Christmas stuff for the December calendar. But how would be work the contest towards that end?

Give us your help and let's make next years contest the best one yet.
 

cherylim

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Ooh, I tried to reply to this when you posted it the other day, and it said the thread had been removed when I hit 'reply'.

Anyway, my thoughts are as follows:

Living in the UK, I'd have to pay a lot to buy a TFO calendar. I loved entering and getting involved this year, but when I saw the price plus delivery I realised I'd only be able to justify buying one if Emrys won a main page slot. I'd love to be able to buy the calendar each year, but at $38.11 (approx. £25) for one calendar, it's a bit much.

Personally, I think the contest ran really well this year. I was relatively new to the forum, so I didn't have a big backlog of pictures lined up to choose from, but now that I'm aware how it works I'm constantly keeping back my favourite photograph so that if I enter next year, it will be with a previously unseen picture.

I don't think people should be able to pick a month, or aim for one. We'd end up with a situation where people would take a photo of their tortoise with a Santa hat to get the December slot, or a pumpkin for Halloween. Then, one person gets that slot and anyone else that took the same approach has a picture that just won't fit anywhere else. The mini contest thing might work better, but I think people would have to find a way to make their picture 'seasonal' without being date-specific.

Just my thought, of course. I just worry that people who tailor their picture choice to aim for a certain date are pushing out those who send in a 'generic' photograph (I imagine most people would vote for the themed pictures), and are then in the position where they can't be involved if they don't win a specific month.
 

Len B

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It would be nice if you would allow anyone that wanted to, to be able change their picture up to the deadline date of submitted entries, And in the rules add, that turtles are allowed also. Len
 

bubbles01

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I also have the posting cost issue same as Cheryl... How about an online calendar that we have to pay to download instead/aswell? Could then be used as a screensaver/wallpaper for those who dont want to print, or printed individually. My hubby does a lot of web/graphic design work so he would put it together free of charge for TFO. (I'm SO generous with his time...!)

I quite like the idea of themes, but agree that many would go for Halloween or Christmas - so what about areas/sections like Jacqui said? 2 months dedicated to groups, 2 months for turtles? 2 months for babies? that sort of thing.

I would pay a small entrance fee if requested.

Helen x
 

cherylim

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bubbles01 said:
I also have the posting cost issue same as Cheryl... How about an online calendar that we have to pay to download instead/aswell? Could then be used as a screensaver/wallpaper for those who dont want to print, or printed individually. My hubby does a lot of web/graphic design work so he would put it together free of charge for TFO. (I'm SO generous with his time...!)

I quite like the idea of themes, but agree that many would go for Halloween or Christmas - so what about areas/sections like Jacqui said? 2 months dedicated to groups, 2 months for turtles? 2 months for babies? that sort of thing.

I would pay a small entrance fee if requested.

Helen x

I forgot to discuss the entrance fee. I'd definitely pay a small fee each year to enter.
 

DesertGrandma

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I have enjoyed seeing all he photos for the contest, as well as all the others posted on this site by the members on a daily basis. I am wondering what the proceeds of the sale of the calendars is used for? Are the proceeds used to fund this forum in some way? If so, I think it should be stated. There might be more overall sales of the calendar if it is a forum fundraiser and we know what the funds will be used for. Or, is it just for fun and there are no proceeds from the sales, you know just a "break even?" It seems to me that using someones photos for reproduction on a calendar for sale should be considered the "entry fee." I am not in favor of an entry fee, just IMHO.
 

cherylim

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DesertGrandma said:
I have enjoyed seeing all he photos for the contest, as well as all the others posted on this site by the members on a daily basis. I am wondering what the proceeds of the sale of the calendars is used for? Are the proceeds used to fund this forum in some way? If so, I think it should be stated. There might be more overall sales of the calendar if it is a forum fundraiser and we know what the funds will be used for. Or, is it just for fun and there are no proceeds from the sales, you know just a "break even?" It seems to me that using someones photos for reproduction on a calendar for sale should be considered the "entry fee." I am not in favor of an entry fee, just IMHO.

True that I'd want the entry fee to fund the forum, or tortoise welfare in some way.

I think this was asked during the contest. Someone asked where the profits went, and the response was that there were none - after costs, they simply broke even.

I would pay a fee if it meant the forum, or tortoises, got something out of it.
 

wellington

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My thought is that if more people's tortoises or turtles got in the calendar more would buy, like me. So how about putting a winner on both sides of the front cover and one on the inside back cover, with the back outside cover remaining the same. Also, small individual pictures scattered within some of the dates on the calendar, or at least in the empty squares.
I don't like the fee idea, as I think even fewer people will enter. But I think if the calendar could be done cheaper but remained the same price and part of the proceeds go to some animal/tort rescue, more people would inclined to buy. Just my thought:D
 

DeanS

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I'd like to see more species represented. Sulcatas seem to overrun every calendar. I'd also like to see more natural photos...no chocolate turtles...no matchbox cars...just shoot 'em in a natural environment! :cool:
 

RianSeeking

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Yum. Chocolate turtles. After a year of watching how it works I think I'm ready to enter this year.

I'm fine with an entry fee. How many were actually sold this year?
 

terryo

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DeanS said:
I'd like to see more species represented. Sulcatas seem to overrun every calendar. I'd also like to see more natural photos...no chocolate turtles...no matchbox cars...just shoot 'em in a natural environment! :cool:

I agree with Dean....Maybe each month there should be a different species. I agree with Len also...how about allowing turtles in the contest...water turtles...box turtles. I love how TortoiseFriends run their calendar contest. You can submit as many pictures as you want...no one knows who won until they buy the calendar and see the pictures. I never saw an entry fee in any other forum contest. I think that each picture should represent that species in a natural setting. Some pictures just have a close up of their big head...or half a tortoise in the picture. Anyway...just MHO.
 

yagyujubei

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I think that if restrictions are added to pictures it will be a problem. There were under 50 entries with no restrictions. I think that the contest was almost an afterthought in 2011, with only a week or so to submit.If you want people to give these as christmas gifts, they should be on sale before thanksgiving, and delivered in time for the holidays. The calendar entry thread was almost never visible because it was getting bumped off all the time. Many members probably didn't even know there was one. In theory a different species every month sounds great.What if there are 100 great sulcata entries, and only one poor radiated entry? Same chance? I think picking the best pictures irregardless of species will yield the best calendar. I think that the picture should be imprinted with species info in the final version. I think an entry fee is a BIG MISTAKE. I wouldn't pay it. Also, there IS a turtle in the new calendar.
 

Jacqui

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I looked at Yvonne's thought of an entry fee, as making a down payment on your calendar purchase.

My personal likes is using any open space to place more pictures of the tortoises. I mean really, why waste the space and the great pictures? Does it cost more to do it?

I like others mentioned, would live to see more species represented in our calendar. Just not sure how we can do that and still make things fair and equal.

I love and own turtles, so don't get me wrong on this, but.... with the fact we can't even show a wide range of tortoise species, do we really want to eliminate even more tortoise pictures for turtle ones?

Love all the various thoughts on this, please keep them coming!!

terryo said:
You can submit as many pictures as you want...no one knows who won until they buy the calendar and see the pictures.

Interesting idea. So there is no way it becomes a contest of popularity of a species or a person. I like that. Who picks the winners? How much negative feelings happen, when one person perhaps wins two slots?
 

Melly-n-shorty

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yea i looked at the entry fee as a down payment too. I also like the idea of making the contest start earlier. maybe we should start separate threads during contest time in all the species sections (one thread per species) posting stuff like "its not to late to get your Greek Tortoise into the contest" " come on lets see those Pancake Tortoise in the calender" to kind of cheer people on. I made one thread asking to see members Leopard Tortoise and got to see lots of pictures. I think it would also help get the word out about the calendar.
 

Yvonne G

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One thing that has always bothered me about our calendar is that I never know (unless I happened to recognize the animal) who won. I want to see the type of tortoise and the keeper's name on the final product.

yagyujubei said:
I think an entry fee is a BIG MISTAKE. I wouldn't pay it. Also, there IS a turtle in the new calendar.


Of course, you're correct, if this was merely a picture contest. But the whole idea of the contest is to sell calendars.
 

Melly-n-shorty

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emysemys said:
One thing that has always bothered me about our calendar is that I never know (unless I happened to recognize the animal) who won. I want to see the type of tortoise and the keeper's name on the final product.







I love this idea.
 

terryo

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emysemys said:
One thing that has always bothered me about our calendar is that I never know (unless I happened to recognize the animal) who won. I want to see the type of tortoise and the keeper's name on the final product.

yagyujubei said:
I think an entry fee is a BIG MISTAKE. I wouldn't pay it. Also, there IS a turtle in the new calendar.


Of course, you're correct, if this was merely a picture contest. But the whole idea of the contest is to sell calendars.




Where is there a turtle in the calendar? I didn't see one.
 

yagyujubei

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January
[/quote]

Where is there a turtle in the calendar? I didn't see one.
[/quote]
 
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