Print this article | E-mail this article | Comment on this article

MSN Launches 'Search and Win' Contest

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

February 13, 2006, 1:25 PM

MSN has come up with a new plan to draw users away from Google: free stuff. The company launched a contest on Monday that will give users a chance to win prizes simply by using the service's search engine. Over $1 million in prizes will be available during the months of February, March and April.

Prizes include gift certificates from American Express, Target, REI and Nike. MSN will also be giving away Canon PowerShot digital cameras, HP Digital Entertainment Centers, and Creative Zen Sleek MP3 players.

Three selected winners will additionally be able to donate $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 to the charities of their choice.

1,200 keywords would be initially linked to prizes this month, with more keywords added in March and April. Users would find out if they were winners in the subsequent result page after entering their search term.

A consistent third in search engine ratings behind market leaders Google and Yahoo, MSN is looking for ways to entice users to make the switch. So far, the company's efforts have been largely unsuccessful, which could be why it is looking towards promotions to increase its visibility.

Yahoo has also considered a similar promotion.

"Whether you want to win a cool prize or give back to your favorite charity, now is a great time to try MSN Search," MSN Search marketing director Lisa Gurry said in a statement.

Add a Comment (19 Comments)

BetaNews reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Foul language and personal attacks will not be tolerated.

By pgs911

edited Dec 18, 2007 - 6:33 AM

i guess it maybe interesting contest.

Score: 0

By luis helfer

edited May 2, 2006 - 1:31 AM

I have created (March 11 2006)about 2 months before MSN launch this page, a similar page:

www.wingiveaway.com

Congratulations guys, and I wish have some of your msn searchers visiting our page. By the way,we were the first web page giving away prizes for free...

Score: 0

By RobinJohnston

edited Mar 24, 2006 - 12:31 PM

As an older person who enjoys the internet immensely please know MSN Search is the best search program ever devised.. Many spinoffs and new programs offer some form of search capability but MSN is the premier search engine of all time.. Microsoft Programs top them all..Bar none... Robin Johnston

Score: 0

By markey

edited Mar 22, 2006 - 2:46 PM

PRESS RELEASE - MSN as a new fundraising tool?

The NSPCC and MSN have today announced a special website that raises funds with

every search for the NSPCC.

Polly Gowers, Managing Director of everyclick.com, the search engine that helps charity

said “We are very pleased that MSN has decided that they can support the NSPCC in

this manner. Search has the potential to become a very important fundraising tool for

any charity. Everyclick.com enables charities no matter how large or small to benefit

from search, we currently support over 710 charities ranging from Save the Children,

WWF to tiny voluntary run organizations.”

Everyclick.com launched in June 2005 and currently provides a no cost fundraising

facility to 712 charities. Growing numbers of supporters use it, last week 70,000 people

searched and shopped through everyclick.com to raise money for the charity of their

choice.

Everyclick.com gives 50% of its revenue to charities on a monthly basis. More than 90

companies, including Cadbury Trebor Bassett, use everyclick.com as a corporate social

responsibility tool.

-ends-

For further press information, please contact: Emma Walton

Email: emma@everyclick.com

Tel: +44 (0)1608 653 024 Images and all press releases are available for download at

http://www.everyclick.co.../myeveryclick/ecinpress

www.everyclick.com - Notes to Editors:

• Everyclick.com is the new search engine that has been purpose built to automatically donate 50%

of its revenue to charity every month.

• Most people don’t realise that every time they search the web, they’re generating cash.

Everyclick.com has been set up to make sure some of this money benefits charity.

• It behaves just like any other search engine, providing full search results, images, news feeds

and special features such as Amazon product listings.

• Everyclick.com now has over 710* participating charities.

• The fact is, if just ten supporters from each of the 167,000 UK registered charities used

everyclick.com, over £20 million** could be raised in the first year.

• The money is allocated by intelligent software and is distributed to charities every month by the

Charities Aid Foundation.

• www.everyclick.com is an example of ‘21st Century Giving’ which combines the technology of the

21st century with the more altruistic spirit of the age.

• Everyclick.com is predicting that the Top 5 employee sectors could raise up to £60m a year as

follows:

Employee Sector Potential amount per year raised

via everyclick.com

»Banking (5,230,000) £31,000,000

»Public sector (4,000,000) £24,000,000

*Accountants (550,056) £3,300,336

*Solicitors (1,000,581) £1,000,581

*Marketing (50,000) £300,000

• Everyclick.com’s latest figures*: Searches: 2, 840, 531

Charities signed up: 713

Registered users: 8.642

* These figures change on a daily basis, please see everyclick.com for up to date information.

** Based upon everyclick's average user value projections

~ Calculation based on average search engine data, which shows that the average user could potentially generate £6 for charity per

year. For example, current Google data shows that the average user raises £1 per month for Google. £100m is based on 17.4m

white collar workers donating £6 each via everyclick.com.

Score: 0

By (V) SEAL

edited Feb 22, 2006 - 9:36 PM

the odds are pretty low.......

1:100 000!!
-or-
1:250 000!!!!

by the way......
what language is moisecabral
speaking?
certainly not english.....

Score: 0

By moreilly222

edited Feb 16, 2006 - 6:33 PM

GR8 idea, I'll give it a try.

Score: 0

By knights2

edited Feb 15, 2006 - 8:17 AM

I find that msn search is very easy to use and the results are usually very good.

Score: 0

By Moisescabral

edited Feb 15, 2006 - 5:37 AM

Eu sou Brasileiro , queria muito participar dessa promoção para mostrar que os Brasileiros também podem mostrar um pouquinho de suas culturas e suas origens.
Gosto muito do modo de vida de voces , desde pequenos aprendem a ser independentes e também são muitos inteligentes.

Score: 0

By nametaken

edited Feb 14, 2006 - 7:06 PM

MSN Search is the best !

Score: 0

By ZenWarrior

posted Feb 14, 2006 - 1:16 PM

Not worth the bother.

Score: 0

By JoshvanHulst

posted Feb 14, 2006 - 3:15 AM

Hey.. I'll give it a try

Score: 0

By ServerMechanic

edited Feb 14, 2006 - 12:27 AM

So now Microsoft, in a mad rush to save face (and business), is going to give prizes out if you use their search engine?

Wow.....think they are hanging on by a thread?

LOL.

*shaking head side to side*

Score: 0

By wincement

edited Feb 13, 2006 - 5:38 PM

Just watch: In 2 or 3 days, some random website, or maybe just a blog, will have a constantly updated list of winning search terms.

And people will find that website/blog by searching for it on Google.

lol

Score: 0

By Iria

posted Feb 13, 2006 - 4:25 PM

That search and win link is not working.

Score: 0

By Das mod

posted Feb 13, 2006 - 2:07 PM

notice how Microsoft never gives free copies of its own OS ....

they know people hate windows and wouldnt take it even if it were free :P ...

( i use windows myself ... this is just a random rant )

Score: 0

By asellus

posted Feb 13, 2006 - 9:19 PM

They does for WIndows XP 64-bit, free for the active beta testers.

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Feb 13, 2006 - 2:37 PM

What good would a copy of an OS be for most everyday computer users? If that OS came with a PC, then it would be of value. Most users would end up using an OS CD-ROM (any OS) as a coaster.

Score: 0

By JacenSolo

posted Feb 13, 2006 - 11:34 PM

Some of us aren't as careful with our *Microsoft* CDs as you are :P I know my XP CD is destroyed... and I'm NOT buying a new one (their not cheep)

Score: 0

By w_phillips

edited Feb 13, 2006 - 2:32 PM

that or there's a pretty good chance that the user will already be using Windows so its kinda pointless to give them another copy.

*note I said pretty good, not perfect*

Score: 0

May 15 - 6:27 PM ET Philadelphia takes a pass on saving muni Wi-Fi network

May 15 - 6:21 PM ET Tiny game controller company wrests $21 M from giant Nintendo

May 15 - 5:50 PM ET Beta test of a wireless headset for office workers

May 15 - 5:34 PM ET On second thought, Facebook opts out of Google 'Friend Connect' for now

May 15 - 5:18 PM ET A hundred bucks turns a BlackBerry into a Garmin navigator

May 15 - 5:00 PM ET WD unveils a hard drive expansion kit for Dish Network DVRs

May 15 - 4:42 PM ET That didn't take long: DTV coalition says field tests are already done

May 15 - 4:18 PM ET Xbox 360 sells 10 million in US, Wii not far behind

May 15 - 4:13 PM ET EU agency is 'confident' Google Maps will alter Street View

May 15 - 3:54 PM ET New API enables Google Maps to be embedded in Flash apps