Cell phone company defends marketing campaign
Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Mar 19/01) - NMI Mobility calls it a chance to win. Ben Wolters thinks it's a scheme.
The new Autoloto dial-in-to-win offers NMI cellular customers a chance to win prizes through a dial-in lottery.
For 50 cents a call, players punch in a seven-digit number of their choice.
Match all seven digits and win a 2001 Chevy Tahoe vehicle; match a minimum four digits and win one of 2,000 belt clips or hand-free phone kits.
Wolters suspects NMI stands to profit substantially from the lottery-like contest and wondered about licensing issues.
But the Autoloto is not a lottery, said NMI vice-president Glenn Nicol.
He said that Autoloto is just another marketing venture, like credit card points.
A government lottery licence is not required because NMI is promoting a product, said Michael Gagnon, consumer affairs officer.
"I had one call from the Yukon government inquiring about how we were handling (Autoloto)," Gagnon said.
"We all seemed to agree it's a promotional contest because it's only open to their customers."
Nicol can't understand the fuss.
"If you make four phone calls or four hundred phone calls and you happen to win that Tahoe, making 400 phone calls at 50 cents a call is nothing. That's where it's a contest," Nicol said.
"We're trying to come up with inventive and creative ways to give people more excitement when using their cell phones."
Yes, the company hopes the contest will generate more air time, he said.
"How much air time, I haven't got a clue. Depends on how many people call in."
The numbers won't be compiled until after May 31 when the contest ends.
