We all know that entering comps is a great hobby - but trying to win prizes might be more popular than some compers would predict.
Readers of the February issue of Compers News will see that Spark & Fuse Marketing have shared an exciting infographic with us, which presents stats like the fact that 65 per cent of consumers from the UK try their luck on prize promotions on a regular basis.
The stats come from research that looked into UK consumers' opinions about this kind of promotion.
Among people who enter comps, almost 60 per cent spend 30 minutes daily entering over the internet.
This is a great benchmark to use to see how your comping compares - do you try your luck in online comps for less time than this or more?
Most - two-thirds - would rather use their home computer compared to their mobile phone when entering, it seems.
Although this is perhaps understandable for various reasons - including the fact that some of us are more used to using the internet on a computer - we'd predict that more compers will turn to their mobiles to make entries as the years go by.
Some 34 per cent of comp fans would much rather enter a promotion on the brand's own website, against nine per cent who have a big preference for entering on Facebook or Twitter.
The company said it was surprised by this part of the data that came out of the survey.
Other stats that came to light include the fact that 40 per cent of comp fans will talk to family and friends about good promotions they have seen.
Of course the Compers News Chatterbox forum is one brilliant way to connect with people and discuss comps, both with friends and people you know less well.
Interestingly, 46 per cent of people who comp said they thought that brands don't have a good understanding of the things consumers want to win.
And they people who enter comps rate a prize that gives them more quality time with people they love more highly than getting their hands on the prize of a mobile device.
One stat that stood out like a sore thumb for us was that 58 per cent of the people who regularly take part in prize promotions don't only rarely read T&Cs - they have NEVER read them!
Now the people that enjoy comps who were questioned for the study might not think of themselves as compers as such, and perhaps if Compers News readers were questioned, this stat would be different, given that you guys are so often reminded to check out Terms and Conditions!
Once you start reading them, you begin to see exactly why this is such a crucial issue - especially for more complex comps.
Brands might not be able to fit all the potentially important details of a comp in the main copy. So although you'll get the basics reading this, there can be important extras in the T&Cs - especially for creative comps, where they can be the place to find the most in-depth details about how entrees will be judged. That can be vital when it comes to deciding how to create your entry.
We like the style of the 12 per cent of comp fans who said they always check out T&Cs in the survey.
Unfortunately, the stats also looked at people who had had a bad experience when they had won something - perhaps some Compers News readers have been through some of these sorts of thing?
For example, 15 per cent of people who enter comps had been left unimpressed by how they'd been told about the win. And 14 per cent had needed to chase-up a prize that was rightfully theirs.
