The best competition ideas for business give people a quick, fun reason to take part and give you something useful back: an email address, marketing consent or answers you can act on. Below are 25 ideas, grouped by type, from instant win games and quizzes to photo competitions, seasonal calendars, in-store QR codes and B2B campaigns. Each one tells you what it is good for and which format to use.
Most competitions fail for one of two reasons: the idea doesn't match the goal, or the prize attracts the wrong people. So before the list, a quick word on picking. Then the ideas, with real results from Scratcher customers where we have them.
If you are new to this, start with our guide on how to run an online competition. It covers planning, prizes, rules and promotion step by step.
How to Pick the Right Competition Idea
Start with the goal, then choose the mechanic. The game is the tool, not the point.
| Your goal | Mechanic that fits | Formats to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Many sign-ups fast | Instant win, low effort | Scratch card, spin the wheel, mystery box |
| Better data about customers | Questions with a prize at the end | Quiz, personality test, product finder, survey |
| People coming back | Something new every day or week | Calendars, leaderboards |
| Engagement and content | People create or vote | Photo competition, vote game, product battle |
| Sales right away | Prizes that are used in your shop | Discount codes and barcodes as instant win prizes |
| Contacts from your shop | Scan, play, sign up | Any format, shared with a QR code |
Two more things to decide early:
- Instant win or draw? Instant win shows the result right away. A draw picks winners later. We compare them in instant win vs prize draw.
- The prize. A prize from your own range attracts people who want your products. A generic prize attracts everyone, including people who only want the prize. Our guide on lead quality from competitions goes deeper.
Now the ideas.
Want ideas for your own industry and season? The free competition idea generator suggests a game, a prize and a channel, and the marketing calendar shows the dates worth planning around.
Instant Win Ideas
Instant win games are short and exciting. People play in seconds and see straight away if they won. They are the easiest way to collect many sign-ups.
1. Scratch card with a prize for everyone
What it is: People scratch a digital card to reveal a prize. A few win something big, everyone else gets a discount code.
Good for: List growth and quick sales. BonBon-Land's scratch card engaged 13,746 participants in one month and turned consolation codes into ticket sales.
Format: Scratch card
2. Spin the wheel with a main prize and many small ones
What it is: A wheel with a few attractive prizes and many smaller ones, such as free shipping or a gift card.
Good for: Reaching a large audience and reactivating old contacts. Fleggaard's wheel engaged 34,000 unique participants and added more than 21,000 new and reactivated leads.
Format: Spin the wheel
3. Mystery box for product sampling
What it is: People pick a box and find out what's inside. Instead of handing out samples on the street, you give away a free product as a coupon.
Good for: Launching a new product. Burger King used a mystery box to launch a new Whopper, with a 45.5% redemption rate on free Whopper coupons.
Format: Mystery box
4. A game pop-up instead of a plain sign-up box
What it is: A small game, like a wheel or scratch card, that appears on your website and asks for an email before people play.
Good for: Turning website visitors into subscribers, all year round. More ideas in our post on email popup ideas.
Format: Game pop-ups
Quiz and Knowledge Ideas
Quizzes ask for a bit more effort. In return you get answers you can use, and people who care about the topic.
5. True-or-false quiz about your brand
What it is: Five to ten quick questions about your products, history or values. Correct answers enter a prize draw.
Good for: Brand awareness and cheaper leads. EYDA's true-or-false quiz for its summer collection generated 12,000 leads and cut its cost per lead by 35%.
Format: Quiz
6. Personality test that leads to a product
What it is: "Which type are you?" People answer a few questions and get a result that matches one of your products.
Good for: Data you can use to personalise emails. Yuaia Haircare combined a hair personality test with games and lowered its lead price by around 50%.
Format: Personality test
7. Product finder with a prize
What it is: A guided set of questions that helps people choose the right product, with a prize draw or discount at the end.
Good for: Complex products and warm leads. Zapp's charging box quiz brought in 834 leads and a 10% lead-to-sales conversion rate.
Format: Product finder
8. Guess the result
What it is: People predict the score of a match, the winner of a show or the outcome of an event. The best guesses win.
Good for: Sports sponsors, media and anyone tied to a big event. People come back to see if they were right.
Format: Guess the result
Skill and Leaderboard Ideas
Skill games let people compete for a high score. They play again and again to climb the leaderboard, which gives you more time with your brand.
9. Weekly high-score competition
What it is: A short arcade game where the best scores each week win a prize. Everyone else can play for fun.
Good for: Repeat visits and time spent with your brand. Read more in our guide to leaderboard competitions.
Format: Drop game with a leaderboard
10. Memory game with your products
What it is: Classic pairs, but the cards show your products, logo or new collection.
Good for: Showing off a range in a way people actually look at. Works well for families and younger audiences.
Format: Memory game
11. Puzzle of your new product
What it is: People put together a picture of a new product or campaign image against the clock.
Good for: Launches and teasers. The fastest players can enter a skill draw for the best scores.
Format: Puzzle game
Photo, UGC and Voting Ideas
When people create something or vote, they feel part of the brand. You also get content and opinions.
12. Photo competition
What it is: People upload a photo on a theme: their garden, their pet with your product, their best holiday shot. You pick the winners.
Good for: User-generated content and community.
Format: Photo competition
13. Product battle: let customers choose
What it is: Two products go head to head, round after round, until one wins. Everyone who votes enters a draw.
Good for: Finding out what your customers like, before you order stock or plan a campaign.
Format: Product battle
14. Vote for the next flavour, color or design
What it is: A simple vote between a few options, with a prize for taking part.
Good for: Product development and engagement. The result also makes a good story for your next newsletter.
Format: Vote game or online poll
Seasonal Ideas
Holidays give you a reason to reach out that people already expect. Plan them early.
15. Christmas calendar with a prize behind every door
What it is: 24 doors in December, each with a game, a question or an instant win. A grand prize on the 24th.
Good for: Daily visits for a month. Toyota Denmark's Christmas calendar had 450,375 opened doors, and participants came back 18 of 24 days.
Format: Christmas calendar. Our online Christmas calendar guide walks through the setup.
16. Advent calendar with one door each Sunday
What it is: Four doors, one per Advent Sunday, each with a weekly prize.
Good for: A lighter Christmas campaign. Whiteaway's wheel of fortune advent calendar kept 82% of new subscribers on the list six months later.
Format: Advent calendar
17. Black Friday early access game
What it is: A wheel or scratch card in the weeks before Black Friday. People sign up to play and get early access or a discount code.
Good for: Building your list before the big sales weekend. Lampeguru's Black Friday wheel reached a 56% conversion rate and 4,582 unique leads.
Format: Spin the wheel
18. Last-minute Easter or Valentine's game
What it is: A short campaign that runs for a few days around a holiday.
Good for: Quick wins when you have little time. Dansk Outlet ran its last-minute Easter scratch card in under a week and got 13,000 sign-ups from 16,000 visitors. Rito.dk's five-day Valentine's wheel drove over €13,500 in revenue.
Format: Scratch card or spin the wheel
19. Anniversary competition
What it is: Celebrate your birthday with a game and prizes that match the number of years.
Good for: A story people want to join. Davidsen's 75th anniversary wheel brought in almost 5,400 new subscribers. See more anniversary campaign ideas.
Format: Spin the wheel
In-Store Ideas
Most people who visit your shop leave without you knowing who they are. A QR code that leads to a game changes that.
20. Scan to win poster
What it is: A poster by the entrance or checkout with a QR code. People scan, play on their phone and sign up.
Good for: Turning shop visitors into contacts. Deichmann links in-store posters and QR codes to online games, with a 60% lift in leads from its first campaigns.
Format: Any format, shared with a QR code in store
21. QR treasure hunt
What it is: QR codes hidden around a shop, park or venue. Each one opens a quiz or a clue.
Good for: Getting people to explore. Ree Park's Easter egg hunt combined QR codes, a map and animal quizzes and engaged around 30% of all visitors.
Format: Quiz and interactive graphic
22. Launch your loyalty app with a game
What it is: A game in store and online that gives members a reason to move to your new app or club.
Good for: Loyalty sign-ups. Brugseni used a wheel of fortune to launch its loyalty app and converted more than 50% of its members.
Format: Spin the wheel
More ideas for shops in in-store competition ideas.
B2B Ideas
Competitions work for B2B too. The prizes are different and the audience is smaller, but the mechanics are the same.
23. Quiz calendar for dealers or partners
What it is: A daily question in December for your dealers, partners or resellers. Correct answers go into a draw.
Good for: B2B newsletter growth. Continental's Christmas calendar quiz for Danish dealers grew its B2B newsletter by 130%.
Format: Christmas calendar with quiz questions
24. Trade show game
What it is: A wheel or quiz on a screen at your stand, or a QR code people scan to play on their phone.
Good for: Collecting contacts at events instead of business cards. Scandinavian Print Group uses quizzes, wheels and advent calendars at trade fairs across 18 brands. More in trade show game ideas.
Format: Spin the wheel or quiz
25. Direct mail with a QR code
What it is: A letter, catalogue or card with a QR code that leads to a game or quiz.
Good for: Seeing exactly who reacted to your mailing, and getting their consent for email.
Format: Any format, shared with a QR code
Before You Launch
A good idea still needs a solid setup:
- Write clear terms. Who can take part, what the prizes are, how winners are chosen. Use our terms and conditions checklist.
- Ask for consent properly. Keep entry to the competition separate from consent to marketing.
- Keep it fair. In Scratcher you can allow one entry per email address or phone number, limit how often people can play and block throwaway email addresses.
- Plan the prizes. Set quantities and odds, or schedule draws. See prizes and winners.
- Promote it. Newsletter, SMS, social media, your website and QR codes in store.
Rules for competitions differ between countries. This article is general information, not legal advice. Check the rules in your market with your lawyer before you launch.
FAQ
What is a good competition idea for a small business?
Start simple: a scratch card or wheel with prizes from your own range and a discount code for everyone who doesn't win. It's quick to set up and collects sign-ups from people who like your products. Our post on giveaway ideas for small businesses has more low-budget ideas.
Which competition format gets the most sign-ups?
Instant win formats like the scratch card and spin the wheel are the quickest to play, so they usually suit list growth best. Quizzes ask for more effort but give you better data.
How long should a competition run?
It depends on the idea. A holiday campaign can run for a few days, a Christmas calendar runs for 24 days, and a game pop-up on your website can run all year.
Do I need a developer to run an online competition?
No. With a no-code platform like Scratcher you pick a format, add your prizes and publish it as a landing page, a pop-up or an embed on your site.
Try One of These Ideas
Scratcher has 40+ formats and 150+ templates, and Rex, our AI assistant, can design a campaign from your website in minutes. See everything in online competitions and giveaways, start your free 14-day trial (no credit card needed) or book a meeting and we'll help you pick the right idea.
