February 7, 2025
.jpg)
The universal appeal of adorableness is undeniable. And if there's one thing all parents love, it's hearing other people tell them that their baby is adorable.
Companies can tap into that appeal and charm their target audiences by running a "Cutest Baby Photo Contest." This type of targeted advertising gives companies a platform for participants to show off their little ones while encouraging their friends and family to vote. Advertisers can even offer bonus entries for other brand actions — like social media engagement, newsletter signups, and more.
Visually charming and emotionally engaging, a cutest baby photo contest is a type of targeted advertisement that sets the stage for better brand awareness, increased web traffic and engagement, and even heightened loyalty among current customers. Plus, contesting is a targeted advertisement that enriches your data, opening the door to personalized communication and retargeting.
The prospect list for a cutest baby photo contest could be more varied than you think, too. Many local and small- to midsize businesses could benefit from this type of targeted advertising, especially if they are trying to reach young families with kids.
One of the most obvious and aligned advertisers for a baby photo contest is a baby boutique or retailer that sells baby goods — whether that's adorable apparel, essentials like diapers and formula, or even a toy store. Their core audience revolves around parents and parents-to-be who not only would be interested in participating in the contest but also see the photos of other adorable little ones. As an incentive, this type of retailer could offer a gift card or shopping spree to the winner or winners of the contest.
It's a bit on the nose, but a cutest baby photo contest from a professional photographer or photo studio is a fully aligned way to get the word out about future photo sessions that produce even more cute pics. Photographers can also offer discounted or free photo sessions as prizes!
One thing that is on many new moms' minds is a little one's first — or second or third — birthday party. Or perhaps they're hosting a baby shower, sprinkle, or gender reveal party for a sister or a friend. And they absolutely want to know the best bakery where they can get the cutest cake, custom cookies, or cupcakes. Bakeries could also add a sweet touch to a photo contest by suggesting photos of a baby's first cake experience.
Local, family-friendly restaurants and cafés are another excellent prospect for a baby photo contest. It's a creative way for them to be top-of-mind among families who are looking for a delicious place to dine — or to grab a to-go meal. Restaurants can offer fun prizes, too, like free appetizers for a year or a free meal every month.
Home services providers — like house cleaning companies, security services, repair companies, and more — are another less obvious but worthwhile partner to focus on for a baby photo contest. What new mom or dad has time to clean the house or take care of a repair?! This type of advertiser can be in front of this desirable consumer base — in a whole new way — with a contesting platform like this. Plus, built-in incentives, like a grand prize of free house cleaning for a year, will surely attract many baby pic entries.
Join our newsletter list where you will get the latest trends and insights on collecting and monetizing first-party data.
While local nurseries and gardening stores may not be top-of-mind as an advertiser for this type of contest, they actually have a fun tie-in with the "nursery" play on words. With a "Cutest Baby in the Nursery" angle, these stores are reaching what's likely a key target audience for them: young families who are newer homeowners. They are more than likely in the market for flowers, plants, and other landscaping needs for their home.
Car dealerships — especially those that sell family-friendly cars, SUVs, and minivans — are another great option for a cutest baby photo contest. They want to garner awareness among growing families who may be looking for a more practical (and bigger) form of transportation. While not all dealerships may want to pull out all the stops with a free car as a prize, they can sweeten the contest with prizes like free services or upgrades.
While new moms may not have a lot of time to regularly treat themselves to a salon or spa day, that doesn't mean they aren't eager for the day they can schedule their next appointment. This type of business can capture a highly desirable demographic with this contest. Plus, the ultimate prize of a "mom's day out" at the spa is priceless.
Parents who are in the market for a daycare — now or in the future — may not know where to start or which daycare to choose. A baby photo contest can help build brand familiarity and community for advertisers in this category. Daycares can even share photos of their own (with permission from the parents, of course!) on the contest platform to introduce new families to some of the baby-friendly fun that happens at their location.
Attractions like zoos and aquariums are a perfect advertiser for this type of contest. That's because they want to constantly and consistently bring in new families while staying in the forefront of parents' minds as an ongoing activity. Contest incentives could include anything from free admission for a year to prize packages from the gift shop.
This list of 10 types of companies is only scratching the surface of possibilities for this type of targeted advertisement activation.
At Audience, we recently helped 97.1 ZHT launch a "Maybe Baby" UGC Contest that sparked incredible engagement for one of the radio station's advertisers, a fertility clinic. This contest achieved 171 new leads for the clinic, engaged more than 117,000 users, and created weeks of compelling on-air and online content.
We make it easy and effective to run any type of contest, including a Cutest Baby Photo Contest. Our templates tool has many options to choose from to align with your campaign goals. It's a powerful way to work with your advertisers and sponsors to drive audience growth, data collection, and revenue.