To block out the pros, we hired a specialist to tweak the contest rules.To attract the amateurs and draw PR, we didn’t just run a 'photo contest' — we ran a contest for the face shots that looked most like computer emoticons, those little facial-expression icons like this ;>) .This made for irresistibly charming banner ads that drew viewers to our entry website, featuring 'smiley' and other poses supplied by people who worked in our global network of offices.

The photos we got weren’t professional “photography”—they were pictures. They proved that we reached the right people: couples, kids, families, grandparents. And the program’s results proved it again:The site attracted 61,522 unique visitors (not just total “hits”; we had over 10 million of those) — a 50% increase over 2006.5,482 visitors registered as contestants, a 25% jump over 2006.A remarkable 58% of all visitors who registered also opted-in for future Norton e-mails — a 35% increase over 2006.5% of all contestants bought Norton 360 right on the spot.Success!