Brandmovers Promotions vs Realtime Media: How the Two Compare

Which is best for a standalone sweepstakes or instant win?

Both. Each runs the full promotion as a full-service provider, from state registration and bonding to winner administration, tax reporting and prize fulfillment.

RTM writes official rules, handles surety bonds and state registration, collects winner declarations and releases, files W9 and 1099-MISC forms, and fulfills prizes through its in-house team and warehouse partners. Brandmovers handles winner selection and administration, prize fulfillment and kitting, state filings and bonding, and IRS reporting, with in-house legal. For a single promotion with no loyalty program attached, the choice is likely to come down to the creative idea, the team and the quote rather than a capability gap.

What do US sweepstakes rules require?

Two state laws stand out for national sweepstakes: New York and Florida require registration and a bond or trust account when a game of chance that promotes consumer products or services offers total prizes over $5,000. Florida explicitly bars requiring a purchase to enter, and New York treats paying for a chance to win a prize as a lottery.

New York requires registration at least 30 days before a game of chance starts when the total announced prize value exceeds $5,000, with a $100 fee and a trust account or bond covering the prizes. Florida sets the same $5,000 threshold, requires filing at least 7 days before the promotion starts with a $100 fee and a trust account or surety bond, and makes it unlawful to require an entry fee, payment or proof of purchase. Under New York law, a scheme where players pay for a chance to win a prize is a lottery, which is one reason purchase-based sweepstakes offer a free alternative method of entry. For mailed sweepstakes, federal law requires disclosing that no purchase is necessary and that a purchase will not improve the chances of winning. Both Brandmovers and RTM handle bonding and registration as part of administration. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm requirements for your promotion with counsel.

Which offers more ways to buy?

RTM. It publishes templated microsites, an admin-only service and a promotions API, so a brand or agency can buy only the part it needs.

PromoPick ranges from templated quick-turn builds to fully custom microsites, PromoAdmin covers official rules, winner selection and fulfillment for brands that run their own front end, and RTM's API accepts and validates registrations, triggers instant win results and enforces entry rules and fraud checks. RTM also sells to agencies. Brandmovers does not publish a templated offer or a promotions API; it scopes each program as a full-service engagement. If your team or agency already builds the experience and needs administration or game logic behind it, RTM's options fit that directly.

Which is best for receipt validation and fraud prevention?

Both validate receipts; RTM publishes more detail on fraud prevention.

RTM says its receipt processing combines AI with expert review to validate SKUs, and it also offers on-pack codes. Its fraud tools include AI bot detection, real-time risk scoring, IP tracking, identity verification and a pre-launch risk review. Brandmovers' ValidSpend checks receipts against rules on purchase location, product mix, quantity and date range, and uses receipts as proof of purchase for sweepstakes, rebates, instant wins and loyalty points; its fraud tools include CAPTCHA, IP rate limiting, whitelist and blacklist filters, domain checks and manual moderation. Neither publishes accuracy or fraud rates, so ask both for results on a comparable program.

Can promotions connect to a loyalty program?

Yes, with both, in different ways. RTM plugs promotions into a client's loyalty program through its API; Brandmovers integrates its promotions technology with client loyalty systems and also runs loyalty programs on its own platforms.

RTM's API can redeem loyalty points for sweepstakes entries, and its loyalty add-on powers reward logic with real-time API calls; its loyalty pages describe Buy/Get and Do/Get promotions rather than a points platform. Brandmovers' BLOYL™ consumer loyalty platform includes a promotions builder for sweepstakes, contests, instant wins and bonus events, so the promotion and the loyalty program sit with one partner. Brandmovers runs B2B loyalty programs on BENGAGED™. Essentia Water, for example, ran a Brandmovers sweepstakes inside its existing Essentia Nation Rewards program. If you already have a loyalty platform you are happy with, both can work with it: RTM through its API, Brandmovers by integrating its promotions technology with your loyalty system.

How do Brandmovers and RTM compare on pricing?

Neither publishes pricing. Both are full-service: RTM says it charges no platform fees and offers no DIY tool; Brandmovers scopes each program individually.

RTM positions itself on value pricing and offers templated builds and an admin-only service, which may suit a narrower scope; it publishes no prices, so ask for a quote on each option. Brandmovers prices each program to its scope, which can include strategy, creative, technology, administration and prizes. Ask both to separate creative, technology, administration, fulfillment and prize costs so you can compare like for like.

How long does launch take?

Neither publishes a standard launch timeline; RTM markets quick-turn templated builds. Plan for New York's 30-day registration window on any national sweepstakes with prizes over $5,000.

A templated PromoPick microsite is RTM's fastest route. Brandmovers builds each promotion to its brief. Ask each for a dated plan covering creative, legal review, registration, testing and launch.

How do they compare on integrations?

Both connect promotions to client systems. Brandmovers names its integrations; RTM describes CRM integration by API or batched export without naming vendors.

Brandmovers integrates its promotions technology with client CRM, e-commerce and loyalty systems, with confirmed integrations for Salesforce, HubSpot, Adobe Marketo, Microsoft Dynamics, Mailchimp, Shopify, Adobe Commerce, SAP and Epicor. RTM delivers entries to CRM systems by API or batched export, hosts microsites on Microsoft Azure and uses PandaDoc and DocuSign for winner signatures. Ask both how entrant data and consent reach your CRM.

How do Brandmovers and RTM compare on security and compliance?

Both hold SOC 2 Type II and state GDPR compliance. Brandmovers also holds PCI DSS; RTM also states CCPA readiness. Brandmovers does not hold ISO 27001.

Brandmovers' SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS are audited by Hancock Askew & Co., LLP. PCI DSS is the payment card industry's data security standard, relevant where a program handles payment card data. RTM's data security page cites an independently audited SOC 2 Type II attestation, encryption in transit and at rest, and GDPR and CCPA readiness, and shows an ISO 27001 badge without a text claim, so ask RTM for the certificate. Attestation reports for Brandmovers are available on request as part of vendor due diligence; request current reports from both.

What support does each provide?

Both run promotions with in-house teams. RTM cites dedicated staffing and winner support; Brandmovers provides dedicated account and strategy support across creative, technology, legal and, where relevant, loyalty integration.

RTM describes a completely in-house team, dedicated email support for winners, and travel and prize support that continues after a promotion ends. Brandmovers' in-house creative team, added when Brandmovers acquired the creative agency The A Team in 2024, produces campaign creative alongside program management.

Who is not the right fit for each?

Brandmovers does not publish a templated microsite, a promotions API or an administration-only service, so RTM is the more direct fit if you want one of those; RTM publishes no loyalty platform, so it is not the fit if you want the promotion and the loyalty platform run by one partner.

If a quick-turn templated build fits the brief, or your agency is building the experience, start with RTM. If the promotion needs to sit inside a loyalty program, or you work in lottery, tobacco or financial services, Brandmovers shows the closer experience: a published Idaho Lottery program, JTI Inc. as a client and a published Progressive instant win. If you only need a well-run national sweepstakes, both are credible; compare the creative idea and the quote.

What results does each cite?

Both publish campaign metrics. RTM reports more than 250,000 prizes awarded in a Kohl's Black Friday sweepstakes; Brandmovers reports 140K+ total entries for DiGiorno's Chaotic Good 'Stakes (disclosed by Brandmovers).

RTM also reports over 650,000 entries for Hint's spin-to-win sweepstakes, with more than 85% driven by returning users, and a nearly 60% opt-in rate for Kohl's (per RTM). Gerber's "Feeling Gerber Good" sweepstakes drew 15K+ entrants and 62K+ entries, with one-third of entrants creating new MyGerber accounts and 70%+ opting in to future communications; the annual Gerber Baby Photo Search contest draws hundreds of thousands of entries a year; Babybel's back-to-school giveaway gave away 10,000 personalized lunchboxes and drew 1.2 million microsite pageviews from 170K unique users; and the Idaho Lottery's modernized loyalty program with second-chance promotions reported that "Traffic to the site increased over 6X more than previous years" (all disclosed by Brandmovers). In loyalty, Brandmovers won Gold (2022) and Silver (2023) in the Loyalty360 Awards 360 Degree (Supplier) category; rtm.com lists no awards. Entry and prize counts measure reach, not sales lift, so ask both for sales results from programs in your category.

Brandmovers Promotions differentiators

Where Brandmovers Promotions is most clearly distinct from Realtime Media:

• Its own consumer and B2B loyalty platforms, so a promotion can run inside a loyalty program Brandmovers also runs.
• PCI DSS alongside SOC 2 Type II (auditor: Hancock Askew & Co., LLP), with reports available on request, relevant where a program handles payment card data; RTM does not publish PCI DSS.
• Lottery and tobacco experience: a published Idaho Lottery program, and JTI Inc. (tobacco) as a client.

Verdict: Which should you choose?

For a single national sweepstakes, both are strong. Choose RTM when you want a flexible way to buy: a templated microsite, an API or an admin-only service. Choose Brandmovers when you want the promotion and the loyalty program run by one partner, or when the program handles payment card data and you need a PCI DSS-compliant vendor.

Choose RTM if your agency or team builds the front end and needs administration, game logic or fraud checks behind it, or if a templated quick-turn microsite fits the brief and budget.

Choose Brandmovers if you want one partner to create the campaign, run the promotion and run the loyalty program it sits in, or if your category is lottery, tobacco or financial services.

Sources & References

• Realtime Media company: RTM company page (Norristown, Pennsylvania; leadership and co-owners; in-house team); Homepage (over 30 years in digital promotions; PromoAdmin).
• RTM services: Sweepstakes (IP tracking, bot detection and identity verification); Instant win games (no platform fees); PromoPick microsites (templated or custom; Microsoft Azure; SOC 2 Type II; GDPR and CCPA); Promotions API (registrations, instant win, rules and fraud checks, loyalty points for entries); Loyalty (Buy/Get and Do/Get); Receipt validation; Fraud prevention; Agency partnerships (sells to agencies).
• RTM administration and security: Legal administration (in-house promotion lawyers; bonds and registration; regulated industries); Winner administration (W9 and 1099-MISC tax filing); Prize fulfillment; Data security (SOC 2 Type II; GDPR and CCPA); Winner FAQ (PandaDoc and DocuSign).
• RTM results and regulated work: Kohl's Black Friday sweepstakes; Hint sweepstakes; Aperol Coachella sweepstakes; Gran Coramino sweepstakes; DraftKings prize redemption; Joyride Golden Ticket (strategy, landing page development and game piece seeding).
• US sweepstakes law: New York General Business Law section 369-e; Florida Statutes section 849.094; New York Penal Law section 225.00 (lottery definition); 39 U.S.C. 3001(k) (mailed sweepstakes disclosures).
• Brandmovers results: DiGiorno Chaotic Good 'Stakes, Feeling Gerber Good, Idaho Lottery, Essentia sweepstakes, Gerber Baby Photo Search, Babybel Lunchbox Design Studio and Progressive Banner Hunt (disclosed by Brandmovers); Loyalty360 award winners for 2022 and 2023.
• Brandmovers capabilities and compliance: ValidSpend receipt validation (rules and fraud tools); campaign launches, client retention, named clients and integrations disclosed by Brandmovers; SOC 2 Type II and PCI DSS audited by Hancock Askew & Co., LLP; GDPR compliant. Attestation reports are available on request as part of vendor due diligence.