Collinsville Chamber’s Duck On The Run Contest Aims To Get Residents Involved
By Emily Klein, Reporter
The Collinsville Chamber of Commerce is hosting Duck on the Run, a contest that promotes chamber members and gets the residents involved in the city’s businesses.
This is the first year the chamber has done the contest. Duck on the Run is based off of Elf on the Shelf, another promotion the chamber does and also a popular holiday game. Duck on the Run involves the chamber scheduling appointments with businesses, and for $50 the chamber takes a picture of a rubber duck at the business. The picture of the duck, appropriately named Collin, is posted to Facebook where followers have to figure out through a clue where Collin is. The next day, a winner is picked and the business featured will give away a prize to the winner. The duck’s photo is captured
“Prizes can be anything from a gift card, to a flower arrangement to a free oil change,” said Cindy Pruitt, interim marketing and membership director for the chamber.
The contest started in May, and continues until June 28, Monday through Friday.
“It’s such an inexpensive and fun way to advertise your business,” Pruitt said. “We’ve had no less than 200 people for each day trying to figure out where Collin is.”
The first post of Collin was May 28. The chamber has posted pictures of Collin at the new Aqua Park, Laura Buick GMC, Who Dat’s, and Old Herald Brewery and Distillery. Some of the businesses featured have been in Collinsville 50 years and some have just started. Pruitt said she’s trying to mix it up and not have too many of one business type.
On July 1, the chamber will do a behind-the-scenes of Collin the duck. Pruitt said she took funny pictures of the duck, for example, a picture of him in a flowerbed and the caption telling him to get out of the flowers. In the past, the chamber hosted Facebook live videos on Thursdays which were very popular.
Since Pruitt is interim, the Facebook live videos will start up after the chamber finds a replacement. The chamber does the events Elf on the Shelf and Duck on the Run to show appreciation for their members.
“It is a fantastic way to advertise our chamber members for a very low amount. Also, people love to win things and I don’t know too many people who don’t like to figure out a riddle of their own town,” Pruitt said.
Since Elf on the Shelf went over so well, according to Pruitt, the chamber wanted to do something similar for the warmer season. The idea also formulated because the chamber hosts Business After Hours on June 27, which has a duck race. The event will be at the Aqua Park and the duck race — of rubber ducks, of course — will race around in the lazy river. Pruitt says that Collin the duck may be there, too.
To participate in Duck on the Run contests, visit www.facebook.com/CollinsvilleChamber.
