Iconic Sweepstakes to First-Party Data Powerhouse

How Alchemer supports Publishers Clearing House's digital evolution
Publishers Clearing House (PCH), known for their sweepstakes and chance-to-win games, has evolved into a sophisticated data-driven company. Alchemer helps PCH collect and connect their data, enabling PCH to develop a robust system for managing zero and first-party data while maintaining user trust through transparency and meaningful value exchange. This quality, high-value customer data has enabled them to be a leader in helping marketers personalize and thoughtfully expand their direct-to-consumer advertising efforts.

Alchemer streamlines how we collect feedback across digital channels in innovative ways. As a result, we can ensure our consumers have a great experience across our digital properties and our advertisers, marketers, and publishers have high-quality data for accurate campaign targeting.”

— Chris Mitchell, Vice President, Surveys, at PCH Media

How PCH Drives High Survey Completion Rates and Earns User Trust

Publishers Clearing House has operated for more than 70 years, engaging consumers with their sweepstakes and free-to-play digital entertainment. With millions of engaged users visiting their platforms daily and opting to participate in PCH’s chance-to-win games and experiences, they recognized an opportunity to collect valuable zero-party data directly from their audience. PCH knows their success as a data company depends on the strength of their relationships with users. Unlike other data providers that mine third-party sources, PCH users willingly share their information, leading to data that is 100% accurate and authenticated. The key? Creating a value exchange so compelling that users see participation as a welcomed opportunity.

Challenge

Now PCH has evolved their business model to become a leader in zero- and first-party data collection and direct-to-consumer advertising through its marketing arm, PCH Media. To maintain growth and access to unique preference-based data segments, PCH Media needed a survey platform capable of handling larger volumes of respondents and flexible enough to reach and engage their diverse audiences across digital platforms from across the United States. They required a trustworthy solution that could collect high-quality, real-time insights while safeguarding user privacy, critical to preserving the trust and engagement PCH has cultivated over its 70-year history. Meeting these demands was essential for PCH to sustain its leadership in a rapidly shifting digital landscape.

How Alchemer Helps

To collect high-quality zero-party data, PCH Media engages opt-in users by offering tokens redeemable for sweepstakes entries in exchange for survey responses, while ensuring strict privacy standards. Distributing 7 trillion tokens monthly, this system drives high engagement while connecting brands with real, registered individuals.

Their strategy revolves around creating engaging experiences that motivate consumers to share information willingly. This strategy drives B2B success by turning each consumer survey interaction into a valuable market research opportunity that collects accurate demographic- and preference-based data.

PCH Media leveraged Alchemer’s powerful feedback collection capabilities to achieve these high standards. The partnership highlights a sophisticated approach to data collection and user insights. PCH Media uses Alchemer not only for market research and internal white papers but also to build robust identity graphs through its surveys.

When using Alchemer, PCH Media can ensure:

Let's take a look at a few of these in more depth:

How Alchemer Helps

Real-Time Data Collection

The more PCH Media learns about a consumer through surveys, the easier it becomes to match them with high-value, relevant surveys they’re more likely to welcome and complete. Alchemer supports PCH Media in collecting key data points for each user to continuously build a detailed user profile.

PCH Media utilizes an internal Question API tool that dynamically updates survey questions in real-time based on user responses, allowing for personalized survey experiences that adjust to individual characteristics such as location, political affiliation, and personal interests. Using webhooks, Alchemer integrates with this tool, enabling near-real-time data capture across multiple platforms, ensuring PCH Media collects actionable insights instantly, anywhere the survey is conducted. This approach enables more-sophisticated targeting, boosts completion rates, and provides deeper consumer insights, creating significant value for both PCH Media and their partners.

How Alchemer Helps

Flexibility and Customization

Alchemer gives PCH Media the flexibility they need to customize survey designs to match their specific requirements. With multiple entry points across PCH properties, Alchemer ensures a consistent and smooth user experience across all platforms.

Whether identifying surveys for building user profiles or enabling anonymous survey options within PCH Media’s architecture, Alchemer supports seamless customization. This ability to anonymize surveys for market research means consumers can still receive rewards for their participation while their PII is stripped away for both PCH Media/Alchemer and for the marketers that use the data to personalize ad campaigns and target new prospective customers. This approach makes the data truly anonymous.

Why Alchemer?

PCH selected Alchemer for two primary reasons:

  1. Data Accessibility: Superior options for real-time data extraction and integration
  2. Pricing Structure: Feature-based pricing model allowing for scalable growth

As PCH Media scales, Alchemer evolves alongside them, meeting their changing needs. This partnership creates meaningful consumer experiences and strengthens user relationships, enabling the collection of high-quality, accurate, and anonymous data. By thoughtfully implementing survey technology and establishing a clear value exchange, PCH has transitioned from a traditional sweepstakes company to a leading zero- and first-party data provider, without alienating their loyal customers.

“PCH Media is leading the consumer insights market through privacy-compliant, efficient, high-quality direct brand surveys. We are thrilled to partner with PCH Media in setting a gold standard for data quality and depth of insights that help brands, publishers, agencies, and researchers gain visibility into consumer interests and behaviors.”

— Ryan Tamminga, Senior Vice President of Product and Services at Alchemer.
In this article

Related Content

See Alchemer in action
Request a demo to learn how feedback can drive your business forward.

By accessing and using this page, you agree to the Terms of Use . Your information will never be shared.