How long does it really take to launch a promotion?
By Natalie Factor, orsom ·
The short answer
the build with orsom itself can take 72 hours. Brief us on Monday and you'll be testing your promotion site on Thursday. What usually takes longer is everything around the build: permits, pack artwork, retailer sign-up and sign-offs. Plan those early and your launch date holds.
Why do most promotions take weeks?
Because most are built from scratch. A new site, a new claim form, new checks, new reporting, every single time. We don't do that. Our templates are tried and tested, so we spend less time building and more time making sure it works.
A bigger or fully custom build takes longer and we'll tell you how long up front. No surprises halfway through.
What happens in those 72 hours?
- Monday: you brief us on the mechanic, the dates, the products and the reward.
- Tuesday and Wednesday: we build your branded site, claim or entry flow, receipt checks and reporting.
- Thursday: you're testing it. Once you sign it off, it can go live.
What slows a launch down?
Usually it's not the tech. These are the usual suspects and how to stay ahead of them:
| What adds time | How to stay ahead of it |
|---|---|
| Trade promotion permits | Some draws need a permit in certain states. Tell us the mechanic early and we'll sort what's needed. |
| Pack and point-of-sale artwork | Print deadlines are often set months ahead. Lock the mechanic and entry details before artwork goes to print. |
| Retailer sign up | Getting every store or banner on board is often the longest part. Start those conversations first. |
| Your IT and domain set up | If your IT team needs to approve a subdomain or security settings, loop them in at the brief. |
| T&Cs and legal review | We write the terms. Book your legal team's review time when you book the launch. |
| Rewards and funding | Agree the reward pool and how it's funded before go-live, so rewards go out the moment claims are approved. |
How far ahead should we brief you?
For the build alone, a week is plenty. For the whole launch, work back from your on-shelf date: the further out your pack and retail deadlines are, the earlier we should talk. A quick call at the start saves weeks later.
Read next
Want this working for your brand?
Tell us the goal. We'll recommend the mechanic.