100+ Best Prize Ideas for your Next Contest or Giveaway

You may have a lot of different reasons to run giveaways or contests in your brand. Contests and giveaways are an excellent marketing tactic to grow brand awareness, increase sales and website traffic, supply your brand with new social media followers and grab the attention of new and existing customers.

Once you have set your giveaway goal and entry method, picking the right prize (especially on a budget) is the next task on your list. Choosing a prize for your contest or giveaway can be surprisingly tricky. You want to offer something that’s valuable enough to get lots of people to participate, but is still relevant enough that you’ll actually attract people from your target audience.

But how do you choose the right prize for your contest?

In this article we have collected over 100 giveaway and contest prize ideas and broke them down into different categories.

How to Choose the Right Prize for your Giveaway

When you decide on the prize, you’ll need to think if it is valuable enough to make entry worthwhile for every relevant user. Τhe more you’re asking users to do, the more valuable your prize should be.

You can offer up your own product as a prize, or use one of the many other brilliant contest ideas we offer up below. The type of prize you offer depends on who your target audience is, and what best aligns with your brand and products.

Alexandra Tachalova from Digital Olympus has tested various gifts to find out what would work the best with their audience, and found out that food was the best option:

We’ve been running various contests here at Digital Olympus. We used to give away professional tools, conference passes, food, other swag, and finally gift cards for Starbucks and Amazon. The most exciting prize among those that I listed were related to food. I think the reason behind this is that food has the best chance of matching anyone’s taste. So, in my opinion, the best option is to make your swag edible. That way, the winner could share it across their SMM accounts and tag your brand on their photo.

 Choosing the right prize is a matter of relevancy, value and you will need to test various prizes and see which resonates with your audience!

Prizes From Your Industry

Choosing a prize that fits into your industry will surely resonate most with your audience. Be sure to choose something that is close to the heart of your message and your people.

A giveaway example by Vinomofo (a site to buy wine online)

Those industry-related prizes could be:

• Your Own Product: If you want to get people talking more about your product, you must give away your own product. This is an outstanding way to increase your product awareness. Also, if you’re about to release a new product or line, then running a contest and giving away your unique offering is a great way to find users who want to get their hands on your new product.
  
• Limited Edition Product: This is a great way to build excitement around your contest and increase entries.
  
• A Year’s Supply of Goods: A year’s supply of goods is a great way to encourage users to try your product and potentially become long-term customers.
  
• Gift Vouchers & Shopping Sprees: If you offer gift vouchers or shopping sprees for a wide range of products, you will help your contest appeal to a much broader market segment. 
  
• Product Bundles: Offering product bundles will make your contest more enticing. Plus, you will be able to appeal and drive participation from a wider pool of consumers.
  
• Companion Products: Find relevant products to yours that your clients will like. For example, if you run streaming services, you can offer up home theatre equipment, or if you run business software services, you can offer office supply bundles.
  
• Collaborate to Offer B2B Bundles: The best prize you can offer when you run a collaborative giveaway is a bundle of products from you and all your partners.
  
• Free Service: If you want to pique some interest in your service and drive some action, fee services are a great way to do it.
  
• Coaching or Consulting Session: Not anyone can offer up your expert advice. Free coaching or mentoring can make for a grand prize that will also help you position yourself as an authority.
  
• Online Courses: Education is a very powerful marketing tool. Whatever your industry, there is a course you can give to your customers, or even better, create your own online course.
  

Subscription-Based Prize Ideas

Imagine yourself gaining a subscription-based prize in a company. What businesses achieve with such prizes is greater product exposure. And apart from that, you show appreciation to your fans and build loyalty with them. Here are some examples: 

An example of a subscription-based prize (source)

• Monthly or Yearly Subscription: This is a great way to put forward an attractive prize that will keep attention on your business.
• Upgraded membership: If someone from your clients wins a free upgrade, they won’t want to go back to the lower level.
• Related Products: Give related products to give more value to your service. 
• Free Consulting Session: You will allow people to see the services you provide without reaching into their pockets.
• Branded Merchandise: Coffee mugs, pens, t-shirts, etc. with your company name and logo printed on them. 
• Free Marketing Materials: Business cards, brochures, or posters.

Seasonal Prizes Ideas

Aligning your contest with a time of the year is an excellent way to build excitement for your campaign.

A winter prize by @soperla

For example, summer is an excellent opportunity for families to go out and have fun. On the other hand, for winter, help people stay warm and comfortable with thoughtful prizes.

• Summer Vacation: Prizes like beach getaways are a grand prize that is bound to attract a whole lot of entries. Also, hotels or brands provide summer activities such as watersports and amusement parks.
• Family Activities: Trips to a zoo, aquarium, museum, water park, or amusement parks, day trips to beaches, water activities. 
• Summer Supplies: Summer clothing, Picnic supplies, Summer beauty products, Outdoor furniture, camping and fishing gear, Bats, balls and other sports equipment, Inflatable pools, volleyball nets, soccer goals, and other backyard play equipment.
• School Supplies: books, binders, backpacks, stationery, and clothing. 
• Fall: Tailgating gear — like portable tables and chairs, Fall food package, including cheeses, seasonal fruit, and apple cider, a Shopping spree for winter clothes, Gift certificates to grocery stores for Thanksgiving
• Cold Weather Care Package: Comfortable sweaters and jumpers, Blankets, Tea and coffee sets, Candles, Chocolates, Books
• Winter Gear: Winter jackets, ski and snow gear, snowboards and toboggans, Camping gear.
• Winter Vacation: Ski and snow trips, Relaxing retreats to a spa, Action-packed city vacations
• Christmas Shopping Spree: A free shopping spree will get people very excited about your campaign.
• Decorations & Supplies: Tinsel, snow globes, Christmas lights, tree ornaments, and other decorations, Gingerbread, candy canes, and other Christmas treats, Wrapping paper and ribbons.
• Awesome Prizes: An outstanding opportunity to drive action and connect with your audience.
• Spring: A landscaping package, a shopping spree for an updated wardrobe, tickets for spring-training events.
• Chocolate & Other Fun Prizes in the Easter season.

Prizes for Holidays and Special Days

Holidays and special days are a great time to hold contests. Everyone wants a present. Whisk a couple away for a lovely weekend away on Valentine’s day or hold a contest on Thanksgiving.

A Valentine’s day prize idea by @brownsbyshakina

If your brand’s products don’t fit in as a typical Valentine’s Day present or prize, then it can be a good idea to go in the complete opposite direction.

• Thanksgiving: Free Catered Turkey Dinner, Kitchen Tools and Baking Sets, Thanksgiving Decor, Grocery Store Gift Certificates
• Halloween: Candy Basket, Tickets to a Haunted House or Halloween Party, Halloween Costumes for Kids or Pets, Bundle of Scary Movies
• Valentine’s Day Presents: Jewelry, Lingerie, Beauty products, Slippers, and a dressing gown for cozy nights in, Photo frames or albums.
• Date Night: A romantic dinner, some movie tickets, or any other romantic activity such as ice skating, a dancing class, or tickets to a show.
• Romantic Getaway: A romantic weekend away.
• Anti-Valentine’s Day Prizes: Video games or consoles, Board games, Cocktail mixers, kitchen appliances, beauty products, and relaxing bath accessories.
• New Year’s Day: Tickets to a New Year’s Eve Party, “New Year, New You” Package, Champagne Gift Basket
• Father’s Day: A beautiful watch, Gadgets, garden tools for landscapers, golf apparel. 
• Mother’s Day: Spa treatments, Massage gift certificates, A girlfriend’s getaway, Shopping spree
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Exclusive deals and discounts in the lead up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
• Wedding οccasion: A package of thank-you notes, A wedding-planning guide, Gift certificates to a popular photographer or dress alterations specialist), A wedding dress giveaway.

There are a lot of other prizes you can think of based on different industries. Here are some examples: 

Real Estate and Home Decor Prizes

People like taking care of their house and organizing their space. Therefore, real estate and home decor giveaways are viral. For example, prizes concerning home organizing are sure to get people talking about your business. 

An example of a giveaway by @everlovecreations

Here are some ideas on home decor prizes ideas:

• Home Makeover
• Professional Organizing Service
• Free Cleaning Services for a Year
• New Appliances for the kitchen

Restaurant Prize Ideas

Restaurants have one of the most visually appealing and universally desirable products of any industry.

An example of dinner giveaway by @koisushigarden

That makes them the perfect business type to find success with online giveaways.

• Free appetizers or drinks for a year
• A “dinner and a movie” package
• Reservation to an exclusive event in a restaurant
• Thanksgiving dinner or wedding dinner
• Luxury Experience (e.g., a meal at the best seats with a bottle of fine wine and a private serving team)

Family and Parenting Prize Ideas

Among your audience are certainly many parents. Give them some prizes to help them with their daily routine at home.

An example of family holiday @frankieraykidsshades

From Breastfeeding to on-the-go guides for raising toddlers, it is certain that those prizes are memorable!

• A shopping spree for a toy shop
• Pediatrician & School Psychologist Tested Tips
• A family-friendly vacation
• A gift bag with bottles, swaddling blankets, and bibs
• Essential furniture
• Baby-proofing kit 

Health and Fitness Prize Ideas

Promote health and fitness at home, at work, and on the go with budget-friendly incentives that encourage good habits. 

An example of a hip brand giveaway by @carleyysokol

Prizes around sports and exercise, healthy eating, general healthcare or even just promoting the ‘keep fit’ message, can become really memorable.

• Personal training sessions
• A set of exercise accessories
• Gym or studio membership for several months
• A package of nutrients or supplements
• Home workout plans or videos

Special Activities Prize Ideas

We all love football and hockey, but what about some alternative sports? Special activities is another excellent prize idea. Unique, uncommon and exciting one-off activities or experiences are a great way to enthuse your customer-base.

A cruise giveaway by @familylifeinsta

Sometimes just sitting comfortably on a couch isn’t what your audience is looking for.

• Skydiving
• Hot air balloon rides
• Helicopter tours
• Scuba/snorkeling tours
• Skiing
• Cruises tours
• Family activities, team building, etc.

Pet Care Prize Ideas

What if you are in the pet-care business?

Pets are like family for most homes, and this shows in how much they care about them. Offering something for both the owner and the pet is a great plus.

A pet care giveaway by frontline.uk

And, for when, having a pet can be a stressful and exhausting experience, here are just a few ways to help people take care of their pets.

• A puppy-preparedness kit
• A gift card for PetSmart or Chewy
• A box of pet toys
• A subscription to a service like Barkbox
• A leather collar or leash 
• Pet training sessions
• A pet photoshoot

Photography Prize Ideas

Even if you are not in the photography business, a photoshoot giveaway might make sense for you. Everyone loves the attention and making your audience feel special is the best way to get high engagement in a giveaway.

Photoshoot giveaway by @lili.rosephotography

So, Give them the opportunity to gain a professional photo shooting, which they will remember forever!

• New baby photoshoot
• Family photoshoot
• Free photo editing with a paid shoot
• A photoshoot for Friend’s Day 
• “Girls weekend” with a professional photoshoot
• Free framing of photos 
• Partner with a hairdresser or makeup artist to give away a photoshoot

Additionally you can check this list with the best gift ideas for photographers with more ideas, products or services you can use as a prize for your giveaway.

Hospitality and SPA Prize Ideas

Medical spas are an emerging trend. Exercises, healthy food, relaxing and good sleep are the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle”. That sounds fantastic but is missing one vital thing, two hours a week at the Spa!

People come out of spas feeling greater than ever. Why not give them this great opportunity? 

A spa giveaway eample by @lakeviewhecla

• “Girls Weekend” spa day
• A Night Stay in a luxurious hotel
• A relaxing weekend package 
• Sports therapy session
• A package to a theme park  
• Upgrade to an expensive room 
• Free spa massage 
• Mother’s day spa day giveaway
• Swedish massage 

Dental/Cosmetic Prizes

A giveaway by @rawcosmetics

Cosmetic presents are one the best giveaways. People spend hundreds of money each year on cosmetics. So this is one of the best prizes to draw people’s attention to you. 

• Teeth whitening
• Back-to-school dental care
• Cash toward any treatment
• Cosmetic treatment
• 50% off treatment of your choice 
• A new smile
• Tooth implants

Prizes for All Occasions

What if there is no specific prize you can think about?

Then, you can go for a generic popular product, a gift card, money or collaborative gift. Here are some ideas on those:

• Popular Products like iPhones: An outstanding way to attract a lot of attention from a wide audience and maximize participation.
• Collaborate to Offer B2B Bundles: This is a brilliant way to gain massive exposure from your partners’ audiences.
• Gift Cards: Visa gift card, which can be spent anywhere, or a gift card for your own products or services. 
• Money: This is another excellent way to attract a wide range of people to your contest.

Conclusion

There are literally endless ideas of prizes and our list could go on and on!

In the case you offer physical products, the costs involved might be branded with your company’s logo. In case you offer a digital product, for example an online course, you need to select a product that is somehow connected with your brand, company, or service.

No matter what prize you choose, the secret ingredient of success in your contests is one: To find a prize that is relevant to your brand and will appeal to your audience.

Your contest should appeal to the users who are likely to take an interest in your brand or products. You wouldn’t want mass entries for the sake of entries. So, our last advice is to focus on the right audience.