The contest will be running concurrently with an in-store promotion called Rip It Win It that will be running until February 26. The 40th anniversary marks an opportunity for the brand, usually quiet on social media channels, to enter into the digital space in a way necessary lifestyle brands to survive in today?s market.

?We have been on a journey to increase engagement through social media contests for several years,? said Gabby Rosemond, interactive marketing manager at CEC Entertainment. ?When we launched our #DadHacks sweepstakes in June of 2016, we saw a strong response from our audience of predominately millennial moms. 

?As we think about improving engagement, it is important that we identify social content that appeals to our families in authentic ways that are culturally relevant,? she said. ?In our case, this meant making a conscious effort to celebrate dads.

 

?This year we are going deeper with our social contests with the launch of #KidsGoingOn40.  The contest really aligns with our brand while coinciding with our ?40 Years of Fun? birthday celebration.?

The contest will be held mainly Instagram and Twitter, and will incentivize the already share-happy demographic of recent parents to associate with Chuck E. Cheese?s brand, essentially turning organic sharing into branded content. 

At stake are prizes including 400 Chuck E. Cheese's tickets, a Kid Motorz Mercedes Benz or a three-in-one family game table. To augment the campaign, additional celebratory, in-restaurant promotions, prizes and giveaways will be announced in the coming months.

Chuck E. Cheese?s in-store promotion, Rip It Win It, mirrors promotions held by fast food companies such as McDonalds in its mechanism: every 16-ounce adult-sized drink will come with a game piece attached that can be ripped off to win a prize. The game pieces are redeemable for tickets, tokens or a grand prize, and every piece is a winner.

Five grand prize winners will win a VIP trip for 4 to San Francisco to visit the studio that created the film Skylanders. Other prizes include 40 tokens or tickets, 40-cent cotton candy, $40 gift cards to Michaels or for Fandango movie tickets, or a pizza party for 40 at Chuck E. Cheese's.

Recently, many lifestyle companies have been keen to take advantage of parents? natural inclination to share photos of their young children on social media, using simple, low-cost mechanisms such as contests to align organic social behavior with their brands. Dreft, Procter & Gamble?s line of detergent products for baby clothing, held a contest last year in which parents could unabashedly post photos of their baby?s messy moments to social media.

The contest offered the winning baby an opportunity to feature on the cover of Parents magazine, and also the opportunity for parents to share photos of their child on a wider scale (see story). 

?Mobile is a very important part of our future strategy,? Ms. Rosemond said. ?The majority of our digital touchpoints are experienced on a mobile device. 

?We have to deliver on this experience to meet customer expectations which are often shaped by digital leaders outside of our industry,? she said. ?For us, this means finding ways to stand out in the mobile space while moms are planning daily activities for their families. 

?This includes booking a birthday through a mobile first site or downloading one of our game apps to win tickets that are redeemable in our restaurants.