General Growth Property Hosts ‘Votes Count’ Program
General Growth Properties is giving young teens a chance to have their say when it comes to politics as part of a mall event program running nationwide this summer.
The mall operator is hosting the “UR Votes Count” program, which gives kids the chance to learn about the presidential candidates and important issues. Through Sept. 21, GGP will set up polling places in 150 of malls in 42 states. Visitors will have a chance to cast their ballots for the next president and give their opinions about a variety of issues, including the environment, healthcare, the Iraq war and education.
Selena Gomez, star of the Disney Channel show “Wizards of Waverly Place,” is the spokesperson for promotion.
Teens who cast their ballot on-site will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of three prize packages: a $5,000 GGP mall shopping spree, an entertainment package and a fall wardrobe package. In addition, each mall will offer a $100 Discover gift card. Young voters can also spin the SoBe prize wheel for a shot at instant prizes.
The purpose is to each 13- to 17-year olds about the importance of the election process, said Matthew Glass, CEO of Grand Central Marketing, the event marketing agency hired to create and produce the program. Recent research shows that young people more than ever are becoming interested in the political process, he said.
“This is an opportunity for future voters to give them a chance to have their voices heard,” Glass said. “We’re telling teens, ‘What you think matters,’”
In addition to the program, a Web site at www.urvotescount.com, which Grand Central marketing created, supports the program. It features live chat, videos, mall locations, weekly polls, online voting, GGP Club registration, candidate stances, election information, downloads and a campaign blog.
Teens who can’t attend an event can vote online and enter a separate sweepstakes for a shot at Nintendo Wii gaming systems or gift cards from mall merchants. The program also includes a text-to-vote component for people teens to cast their vote.
The effort is the first program of its kind for GGP, Glass said. The mall operator has also partnered with online voter registration site www.declareyourself.org to offer voters of legal age a chance to register.
“Teens spend a lot of time at the mall,” Glass added. “There is a captive audience there.”
The promotion is expected to draw about 400,000 participants, he said.
The agency will take the program to 25 malls each weekend through Sept. 21. At end of the six-week run, Grand Central Marketing will release the data it collected on teens’ opinions and views about the political process, Glass said.
In addition to in-mall signage and PR, GGP has launched an online campaign targeting places teens frequent. It created a Facebook fan page for the event. Interactive messages will appear on other social networking and teen-related sites such as MySpace.com and MTV.com. CosmoGirl will also promote the event both online and in its August/September issue.
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