Not so very long ago there wasn't an internet. Back in the days when evening telly was good, Britons weren't obese and fuel was less than 50p a litre. Imagine that. What we did to fill the time was far less virtual and very much more real.

20 years or so later and the internet is so fundamental to our existence that it's a wonder we ever survived without it. It's brought amazing convenience, unbelievable information and an equal amount of disinformation, anytime, at the click of a mouse. Of course marketers have embraced the medium as much as anyone and it's hard to find any sales promotion which doesn't have a web element. But with so many sales promotions out there why do we mourn for the sales promotions of yesteryear when people used heat and reveal labels, inserted blue sachets containing fivers into packets of crisps and even a miniature plastic house inside your tin of beans to tell you, in no uncertain terms that you had won, a house? It might be the excitement, buzz and awe-inspiring creativity which seems so lacking in their internet descendents.

Looking at the 88 or so promotions which we featured on PromoWatch last year, 56% of them had exactly the same mechanic: "enter a unique code from promotional packs on the website to qualify". Assuming our blog is representative of the sales promotion industry as a whole, if more than half of all brands thought that running a competition with a unique code entry mechanic was the best way of establishing a point of difference with their competitors, they were sadly mistaken.

Why has the internet stifled creativity?
In the early days, putting up a microsite for an on-pack promotion was relatively pricey and they were primarily used by market leading brands to support the principle activity. But before too long the microsite has evolved to represent the promotion in its entirety encompassing the customer journey from start to finish. The reasons are obvious - money. Websites are now cheaper to create than ever before, while producing innovative promotional devices and customised product packaging has become, for the most part, more expensive or in some cases a logistical headache.

Now, in the same way that nearly all tv programmes seem to be about property or cooking, once a winning formula has been established promotions agencies realise they can re-package a successful concept and sell it in to clients again and again. Taking it to its logical conclusion, a general acquiescence in mediocrity increases the profusion of mediocrity to the point where it becomes the accepted norm. This all leads to one big yawn for the consumer - and the intrepid sales promotion commentator.

Injecting innovation into sales promotion
The Sales Promotion Industry's utilisation of the internet is a bit like most people's use of the processing power of their home computer - barely taxing its capabilities at all. The internet is far more than just an interpreter of unique codes or a means of plotting pretty dots on a map. So how else can we maximise the power of the web within our sales promotion activity?

If we assume that most brands need to prove that a purchase has been made, can we first look beyond the reliance on unique codes?

Small and discreet, QR codes or Snaptags could easily be incorporated into product packaging and, using a simple reader, would automatically take consumers to the promotional website right on their device (think webcam, tablet or smartphone). As they would have to be in possession of the product to access the on-pack graphic it is fair to assume that they've made a legitimate purchase and have qualified for entry. This would make the all important 'simplicity of entering your promotion' integral to the customer journey.

Can't fit a graphic on your pack - develop a barcode reader for your microsite. With such a heavy penetration of smartphones, tablets and webcams and even smart TVs now, most devices will have the necessary lens to view the barcode for your chosen platform. The CD and DVD purchasing website Music Magpie employs this to great effect.

Go a bit retro. Combine the online and offline worlds by cutting out a token / logo / masthead or whatever from the offline packaging and affix it to a downloaded voucher as the ultimate photocopy / scanner proof online coupon. NB only works for proper redbrick high street retailers*.

* Available while shops last

If you just can't get away from using a unique code why not try and wean yourself off the  Instant Win habit? Here's a few ideas for using a unique code, some of which you may have seen in the wild already or covered in other posts:

• in-game currency for a freemium or bespoke online / mobile game
• proof of purchase token for a collector scheme
• validation for submitting user content for an online competition
• discount / promo code for a third party partner site
• a security tag for a downloaded voucher - could be used in conjunction with the physical proof for offline venues
• unlock treasure hunt clues - again possibly for the pursuit of an offline treasure

if you can't avoid 'instant win' why not make the act of telling people the win/lose verdict more interesting? In keeping with the theme of your brand / promotion it could be the turning wheel on the front of a safe or animated lottery balls which might match up with your unique reference. This simple animation would not be expensive but it would make the engagement and overall impression of the promotion, feel like it was given some modicum of thought rather than just being churned out on a conveyor belt.

The Good News...
The dominance of Twitbook provides a ready platform for smaller brands to promote themselves with very little capital outlay. We should be celebrating the fact that a lower cost of entry means that smaller brands can contemplate sales promotion at all.

Some brands are doing great promotions which really harness the power of social media, sharing user-generated content and integrating their activity across multiple channels. We featured one such promotion from Visit Britain today. So there are reasons to be optimistic. But, woe-betide the sales promotion industry if we have a similar proportion of 'instant win unique reference number monotony' in 2012. You've been warned!!!

P.S. If this blog existed 50 years ago (and I had been born) no doubt I'd have been writing a provocative article about how television had made promotions less personal or relevant. Blah, blah, blah, moan, moan...