How competitions have changed over the years. I remember when in 2009 when I first joined a competition club. I watched a story on A Current Affair with my family. Tracy was interviewing professional compers who had won allot and I mean allot. I was so curious and so the next day I joined. When I started my new hobby, I distinctly remember the time when it clicked. It was fun entering and I couldn’t believe how many I could enter. Then the prizes rolled in and all of a sudden I was hooked. I haven’t stopped since.
Back then there were still Mail in competitions, which are becoming increasing rare. Now we have survey Competitions and social media competitions. They were all nonexistent (the good old days). You didn’t have to jump through hoops. No hashtags and sharing except for your friends emails.
On the flip side it has become allot easier to enter. Competitions often come in the form of a quick entry on a website. There has never been more competitions to enter and more prizes to win. It seems every company marketing plan includes a competition. Social media, clubs and groups are bringing people together. Creating communities of compers sharing code words and winning 25 WOL answers.
2016 will indefinitely bring endless competitions and prizes to win. There will probably be more players. Marketers will figure out more ways to opt us into something. Social media will play a bigger role. A comper must change with the times and adapt. We must figure out how to maximise our entries and time. Enter the complicated ones as they are the least popular. Enter and forget the easy ones.
Hobbies come and go but this hobby for me is the only one that has stuck around. It has never really faded. I suspect it will be around for a long time yet, 2016 and beyond.
