Melinda Travis is COO of Ballot Works, a one-of-a-kind marketing firm specializing in the creation of unique balloting experiences for awards shows and elections in the sports and entertainment industries. From high profile television awards shows to sports league MVP honors, Ballot Works transforms any organization’s voting process into an exciting campaign designed to engage voters, maximize turnout and provide the best possible experience for the end user.

Recently, I read an article in an accounting industry magazine that discussed accounting firms’ roles in high profile awards shows. In it, an accountant was quoted as saying “having an accounting firm safeguard results is of paramount importance.” He goes on to say that “it’s one of the reasons people think that accountants have integrity because when people watch, “they know it’s a trusted professional safeguarding those results.”

Truth? Well certainly, accounting firms have been a part of the awards show voting process for decades and provide a level of auditing that is perceived to be very trusted and of course, is.  But are accountants and accounting firms the only way to ensure the integrity of your show, and is their importance “paramount?” Read the rest of this entry →

Every day Votenet gets to manage hundreds of votes and elections for organizations all over the world.  As CEO, I’ve seen numerous organizations create innovative contests, fan votes and other elections, but  rarely have I seen an organization achieve the level of success and tangible business results achieved by the Seattle Sounders.  After talking to Kenton Olsen, I was struck by their commitment to open decision-making.  In my opinion, there are 5 reasons why Seattle Soccer has not only made online voting a success but also built a successful community of fans.

These 5 reasons are valuable for any corporation or organization planning to develop a highly engaged online community.

1. Build Democracy Into Your Organizational DNA
   From the team’s inception, management decided more heads were better than one.  They didn’t retrofit their organization to accommodate direct democracy, they embedded it right into the organization’s DNA.  One of the team’s first decisions was to pick an official name for the team.  Rather than hire a consulting firm to make the decision or have management decide, they opened it up to sports fan in Seattle and all over the world.  Interestingly, the collective wisdom of the fans made a huge impact.  The winning name, “Sounders”, wasn’t even an option on the ballot.  It was a name that 14,000 people selected via write-in on their ballots. This was a case where opening up the decision-making process to many helped an organization to think outside the box and generate a new and better idea.  Read the rest of this entry →

What’s it like to be a contestant in an online voting event? Votenet asked Jay and Katie, one couple vying for a Simmons Beautyrest Mattress, to tell their story…

Ever since I got my new video camera and Katie got her new DSLR, we have been looking for ways to put them to good use. We keep our eyes on a couple of different websites that list video and photo contests (such as Online Video Contests and Photocompete.com). We’ve had ideas for other entries in a bunch of different contests, and we always weigh the value of the prize versus the work we would have to put into it, and take a look at the competition. Some of the contests are ridiculously hard because professionals are obviously entering, but we found this one for a new mattress that looked like we could compete for (and we also need a bigger bed).

The contest is for a new Simmons Beautyrest Mattress (up to $3000 value), and is being run concurrently through the Simmons website and on Facebook.

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Last year the ownership group for MLS Seattle made headlines when leadership asked season ticket holders to pick the name of the team. Using Votenet’s online voting system, fans cast more than 14,500 votes, overwhelmingly choosing “Sounders FC” as the name of choice.

But the vote on the name was just one step in changing the relationship with their fans. The team launched the Sounders FC Alliance, which provides the team’s supporters one of the most integrated and unique connections to the franchise in all of sports: a voice in the process and access to the decision makers.

Votenet discussed the Sounders FC innovative ownership structure with Kenton Olson, Seattle Sounders FC manager of digital media.

Votenet: How would you best describe the way you’re interacting with fans through online voting?

Kenton Olson:
It is a democracy. From the beginning, our mantra is to be a true democracy in sports. We want the fans to contribute their thoughts and opinions about the team to the ownership group.

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To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Denver Broncos Football Club, team management wanted to put together the ultimate team roster, the all-time best players from the 50 years of football.

“We could have just put together a list and said to the fans, ‘Here’s your Anniversary Team,” but we wanted the fans to decide who belonged on the team because ultimately they are the ones who are there to support the Broncos,” said Kyle Sonneman, the manager of team media for the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos set up a website to allow fans to vote on players for each position of the team. The voting process was interactive, allowing voters to look at a layout of the Broncos’ playing field and move pictures of their favorite players into the right positions. More than 25,000 fans choose the offense, defense and special teams over the summer. Voters had to complete their whole teams for their votes to count, and each IP address was allowed just one vote.

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