In recent years the jewelry stores all across the country have taken to the newest way to create bridal business. Using technology to target potential new customers via a scavenger hunt with text messaging. These types of events coincide with the spiked interest for social gaming.
To participate, couples have to submit an essay explaining why they should win the diamond ring. The jewelry stores decide how many couples may participate and handpick from the essay entries. Before the actual games starts the ground rules are laid out. The jewelry store can decide if the participants must only play on foot or if bikes, roller blades and skateboards are acceptable. Also, the time allotted to solve all the clues are up to the jewelry stores. The couple to answer most clues correctly and scored the most points are the winners of the diamond ring.
All hunting couples use the technology by a location based mobile gaming company founded in 2008 by a 19 year old ivy-league college dropout. The mobile gaming company has put on more than 120 diamond dash games all over the country in the past year and a half. In conjunction with a jewelry store the gaming technology can set up about 50 “mini games” throughout the downtown of whichever hosting city. The games are brainteasers and all are relative to the location. Participants will then receive text messages with clues on where to go for one of those mini games and trivia questions. If the participants answer correctly they can gather clues for the next destination. Points collected are logged automatically with the gaming company.
On May 7th there was an scavenger hunt in Sioux Falls, the prize was a $15,000 Ritani diamond engagement ring. This two-hour event was free and about 1,000 participants were expected. A $13,000 Tacori diamond ring had hundreds of couple out and about on a rainy and windy Saturday morning in Rochester just a few weeks ago. Many were surprised that the turnout was so fierce considering the wet weather.
Earlier this year a similar event ended in a surprise proposal. In February a scavenger hunt held in Santa Cruz, the winner overcome with excitement and so in the moment, he popped the big question to his now fiancée. Neither one expected to win the $12,000 ring nor about the possibility of a proposal, but after 300 couples dashed throughout downtown in search of the 1.02 carat diamond ring, it just seemed to cap the exciting event.
It is interesting to see how gaming, once an isolated type of activity has evolved into an interactive venture and encourages people to interact together. The majority of businesses websites offer no form of social interaction, so this is a new spin on branding their product or company name, plus it provides an instant customer connection. People know the odds of them winning such a high valued item is small but it allows everyone to be part of the overall story and feel connected.