frequently asked questions

General FAQ
E-mail FAQ
Managing Tools FAQ

general faq

1. What is XFx Media?
2. How do I get started?
3. How do I build a promotion?
4. Can I test my promotion before it goes live?
5. How do I activate a promotion?
6. What does it cost to activate a promotion?
7. Can XFx create a customized turnkey promotion?
8. What other services can XFx provide?
9. What is the XFx Privacy Policy?
10. What are the XFx Terms of Service?
11. How do I request a quote?
12. How can I get more information about XFx?
13. Can I link my site to the promotion that I create?
14. Can participants be redirected to my site after completing a form?
15. How much does it cost to launch a promotion?
16. Can I use my own brand logo, color scheme, graphics and Web page layouts for my promotion?
17. Do I need to have the rules reviewed by a lawyer?
18. Do I need to register or bond my Sweepstakes?
19. Do I have to issue Affidavits of Eligibility, Publicity Releases or Liability Releases?
20. Do I have to issue IRS 1099 forms to the winners?

1. What is XFx Sweepstakes?
   XFx is a promotion marketing services support and technology provider for Sweepstakes, Games and Contests. We're an outside resource best utilized by Sponsors or Agencies with limited Sweepstakes experience, budgets and time OR with multiple recurring Sweepstakes events. We provide turnkey promotion solutions to most clients. However, some companies use us for our back-end judging and administrative services. Sponsors have 24/7 access to our intuitive, easy-to-use Administrative Center and their databases and customized reports. Best of all, our services and Administrative Center can be used for both real world and on-line promotions.
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2. How do I get started?
   Call us or request a quote and you're on your way. We can build custom promotions in days instead of weeks. We even have interactive instant win technology that can be customized for your game.
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3. How does XFx build a promotion?
   We work with you to come up with the promotion idea and then build the initial promotion. We can use any specific artwork or styles you provide. You can then review and play the promotion to see if it meets your needs. You can make changes to the promotion all the way up to the minute the promotion is launched. We respond to most changes within a day. Often, this translates into minutes or hours. Obviously, very complex needs can take longer. If so, we let you know up front and will offer alternatives if available.
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4. Can I test my promotion before it goes live?
   Absolutely! However, activating a promotion does require that you contact us before it can go live. Once activated, you can test the promotion as much as you want. At any time prior to the start date, we can rebuild the promotion to delete all test entries.
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5. How do I activate a promotion?
   Once you have given us sufficient information to build the promotion, we will create the promotion and activate it for your testing. From that point on, any changes you request to the promotion can usually be tested within a day; longer if the changes are significant.
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6. What does it cost to activate a promotion?
   Each promotion is unique and requires different elements and services. Therefore, please submit a Request for a Quote form and we'll get back to you quickly. If you'd like to talk to us about your program to determine the elements and services you might need, please call David Kessler at 847.279.8866.
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7. Can XFx create a customized turnkey promotion?
   We would be happy to create a complete promotion for you. We can do all the work for you or we can share the effort with your outside resources. Depending on the amount of customization required, our workload and your approval process, we could have your promotion up and running within several days. We usually find that the only real delays are the legal components which involve the rules, registrations and bonding.
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8. What other services can XFx provide?
   We can build almost any database driven Web site. We also provide complete Web site design services, including database driven Web sites using either MS Access or SQL Server databases, as well as e-commerce support. We have developed Web sites using most server side languages, such as Perl/CGI, ASP, and Cold Fusion, as well as both main scripting languages: JavaScript and VBasic.
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9. What is the XFx Privacy Policy?
   Click here to see for yourself! We do not share your information with anyone and don't contact you unless you request it. For promotions, we have a standard privacy statement you can use for your promotions. Among other things, we strongly encourage you to include the ability for your visitors to opt out of future communications on your promotion entry forms .
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10. What are the XFx Terms of Service?
    Click here to see the XFx Terms of Service
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11. How do I request a quote?
    Click here to request a quote.
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12. How can I get more information about XFx?
    Click here to contact us.
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13. Can I link my site to the promotion that I create?
    Yes! Plus, we provide standard marketing source code tracking so that if you link to the promotion from multiple locations (such as various kinds and types of banner ads) you can track which links are sending the most people to the promotion!
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14. Can participants be redirected to my site after completing a form?
    
    
    Yes. You can supply a URL and your visitors will be sent to it. You can also have the promotion open as a pop-up window on your Web site and have it close itself when done. In this way, your Web site is always open on the visitor's computer.
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15. How much does it cost to launch a promotion?
    The costs to launch a promotion vary according to the complexity of the promotion and XFx services used. Please contact us to sign a contract so you can be launch and manage your Sweepstakes.
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16. Can I use my own brand logo, color scheme, graphics and Web page layouts for my promotion?
    Of course. In fact, we recommend it. It's important to have a seamless look to the Sweepstakes or Game whether we host it or not.
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17. Do I need to have the rules and communications materials reviewed by a lawyer?
    Absolutely. We strongly recommend that all rules and communications materials relating to the promotion be reviewed and approved by Counsel familiar with both state and federal regulations. Please contact us if you need legal resources.
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18. Do I need to register or bond my Sweepstakes?
    All consumer Sweepstakes with a minimum total prize bank of $5,000, must be registered and bonded in FL and NY. Please contact us if you need registration or bonding resources.
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19. Do I have to issue Affidavits of Eligibility, Publicity Releases or Liability Releases?
    Absolutely. These documents protect you from risk. The Affidavits confirm the eligibility of the winners, their permission to allow use of their personal information and their acceptance of any liability relating to use of their prizes.
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20. Do I have to issue IRS 1099 forms to the winners?
    Anyone who wins a prize over $600 must receive an IRS 1099 Form so that the government can count the prize value as income to the winner.
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e-mail faq

1. Can we send customized e-mail messages?
2. Can we create a viral e-mail campaign?
3. Can we send additional messages to participants?
4. Can we send messages thanking people for participating?
5. Can we have visitors send referral messages to their friends and family?

1. Can we send customized e-mail messages?
   We provide you with complete flexibility within the limitations of a text email message. XFx can customize your message to include the insertion of automatic data, such as customer's email address, name, and other information, such as prize won.
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2. Can we create a viral e-mail campaign?
   We can use several pre-defined question types that can be placed on an entry form to automatically generate a viral campaign. These include a list of friends' email addresses and a custom message from the current participant to these friends. We are also developing some more advanced viral promotions that let a participant invite friends to join teams of two or more participants where the teams can win a prize. Contact us for more information about these promotions at sales@xfxmedia.com
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3. Can we send additional messages to participants?
   Yes. XFx can create an email message that is sent to a participant based on their winning or loosing. You can also download the database and use it in any way you see fit, including sending email messages throughout your program.
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4. Can we send messages thanking people for participating?
   Of course. We can provide you with e-mail messages that can customized to include one or more links to one or more Web site locations to encourage visitors to visit your Web site.
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5. Can we have visitors send referral messages to their friends and family?
   Yes, this is part of the viral component of a promotion. We can provide you with optional fields on an entry form so the participant can list the e-mail addresses of other people along with a message. This referral e-mail message can include anything you want, including a place to incorporate the name of the person who is sending the message and the contents of the message. We can tailor both the message body and subject line, so that the subject line can say something like: "John Doe asked us to send you this."
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managing tools faq

1. Can I upload an existing database to my account?
2. Can I download the current database?
3. What formats are available for databases?

1. Can I upload an existing database to my account?
   Yes, but this will require special handling. We will need to get together with you and discuss how best to accomplish this process.
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2. Can I download the current database?
   You can request and receive a download of the database at any time. The database is downloaded as a delimited ASCII file which is easily incorporated into any existing spreadsheet program, such as Excel, or database program, such as MS Access or SQL Server.
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3. What formats are available for databases?
   The database can be downloaded as a report, or downloaded as raw data using ASCII delimited data.
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