Gold and silver purveyor Kitco has launched a contest called ‘So You Think You Can Rant’ to get people talking about the economy. A banner and link on the company’s website, Kitco.com, invited amateur writers to click through to the microsite Soyouthinkyoucanrant.com to rant about any topic they liked, as long as there was a mention of precious metals.
The entrants were whittled down to ten contestants, and the first topic for the contestants to write about was announced last week (‘Is it inflation or deflation? What does gold say?’). Every week for ten weeks the finalists will write a new rant on a specific topic, and the contestant receiving the least votes that week will be eliminated.
David Zgodzinski, head of e-marketing at Kitco’s Montreal office, tells MiC that the contest is intended to drive traffic to Kitco.com by showcasing more outspoken views on the economy and the markets. ‘The average business writer has a fairly conservative style,’ he says. ‘The message boards that talk about the stock market are exactly the opposite. They’re lively. The markets are a contact sport on the message boards.’
The prizes for the contest include gold and silver bars provided by Kitco, a tour of the San Gold mine in Bisset, Manitoba, silver coins provided by Endeavor Silver, a silver ingot bar from First Majestic Silver and gold nuggets from Nova Gold. All the sponsors are advertisers on Kitco.com.
