Earlier this week while in a Tully’s coffee shop, I saw a display for a drawing that is both clever in how it engages with customers and clever in helping to grow Tully’s in-house email marketing list.

The entry forms ask you to enter your “super-long” coffee order. You know, like the ones you overhear the pretentious people say while you’re waiting in line: “I’ll have a Venti skinny mocha with half soy, one packet of sweet ‘n low, at 170 degrees, with 2 tablespoons of whip.”

You make up a long order (and there’s plenty of room to go all out with it!), and Pemco Insurance donates a dollar to Children’s Hospital for each entry. That’s neat! That’s a feel good! You’re also entered into a weekly drawing for a Tully’s gift card. So it’s self-serving too. You get to help a charity and help yourself. Plus you have fun making up the absurd order.

Then at the bottom you enter your email and below that is a check box to sign up for Tully’s email club, to “receive the latest Tully’s news and coupons.”

By the time you get to the bottom of that form, you’re feeling pretty good about this whole deal. And besides, you’ve just given them your email address so you can be notified if you win. Why wouldn’t you just go ahead and check that little box to sign up?

Compare that to just a “sign up for specials” box on a Web site. I bet this converts much better. And I’m pretty sure growing their in-house email marketing list is the point of this contest! Although it’s so subtle, the customer doesn’t see that.

Very well done. I love it.