Social contests and collaborations: it depends on the approach
Last updated: 5 September 2025
In recent years, we have managed over 3,000 prize campaigns for brands including Collistar, Barilla, VisionOttica, Pupa and AWLAB.
Across innovative formats, chatbots and AI validation, one question keeps returning about Instagram contests:
“Should we involve an influencer or media page to amplify the campaign?”
Yes, when the collaboration is well designed. Otherwise, budget, control over the message and expected results can all suffer.
After thousands of activations for Italian and international brands, one lesson stands out:
in collaborations, the details can separate a campaign that takes off from one that goes unnoticed.
This article covers:
- two possible collaboration models
- criteria for choosing the right talent
- common mistakes to avoid
- real campaigns to inspire your own.
Two collaboration models
When a brand runs a social contest with talent, there are two main approaches:
- Promotional collaboration
The brand launches the campaign and the talent promotes it, perhaps by sharing the contest post or publishing branded content.
The talent amplifies the message, inviting their audience to enter, while the brand remains at the heart of the initiative.
- Integrated collaboration
The talent becomes part of the contest itself, interpreting the initiative and creating dedicated content as a natural extension of the brand.
One example is the social contest by AWLAB with Rose Villain: a three-day campaign, thousands of comments, and a meet-and-greet plus customised adidas Superstars to win.
The talent’s role
The key is fit: talent that works in one setting may not work for a giveaway. Why?
- Some are entertainers: they create shareable content, make people laugh and engage audiences.
- Others are influencers: they drive sales, leads and conversions.
The distinction is not always clear.
Talent can be hugely popular without driving conversion, or connect perfectly with their own community without adding value for the brand’s.
How to choose the right collaborator
Look for talent who:
- Can entertain and influence
- Create content relevant to the brand’s community
- Have an audience aligned with the contest objective
An important operational detail:
The brand should publish the post in collaboration with the talent using Instagram’s collaboration feature, so comment mechanics can work correctly across both profiles.
Campaign examples to learn from
AWLAB x Rose Villain: strong engagement in three days
Pasta Garofalo / Insulti Luminosi: creativity, UGC and widely shared comments
QC Terme x Insanity Page: wellness reaching a broad audience
Bancomat x Fantacalcio: a close-knit community and strong participation
The takeaway
Collaborations are one option within social contest planning.
When well designed, they can be a powerful driver of reach, followers and leads.
If your brand is planning a prize campaign, choose collaborators who fit the objective.
Webing can help plan the project with distinctive formats, performance-focused mechanics and well-designed collaborations.
