By Phillip Gerrish, Marketing Services Manager | September 2025 |
A compelling value proposition can be the difference between a supporter who signs up and one who stays. In Direct Debit subscription lotteries long-term success hinges not just on acquisition, but also on retention, upgrade, and reactivation. Understanding and articulating your value proposition at each stage of the supporter journey is essential for building a thriving lottery that delivers for your cause.
Acquisition: Winning the First Yes
At the acquisition stage, the value proposition is your headline promise. It's how you convince someone to say "yes" to regular support via a lottery, sometimes with the benefit of a face-to-face pitch but sometimes without. The core question here is: Why should someone commit to this charity lottery instead of making a one-off donation or supporting another cause entirely?
To stand out, your value proposition must be:
- Clear – Avoid jargon. Tell the supporter exactly what their contribution achieves.
- Emotional – Connect the prize draw to the impact it funds.
- Balanced – Highlight the dual appeal: the chance to win and the opportunity to do good.
For example:
“By playing our lottery for just £1 a week, you’re helping fund life-saving research, and you could win £25,000 every Friday.”
This positions the player as both a potential winner and a consistent giver, delivering feel-good motivation wrapped in simplicity.
Retention: Reinforcing the Why
Once someone has joined, the value proposition must evolve from why they joined to why they should stay. This is where many lotteries fall short, failing to reinforce the emotional and rational reasons behind the original decision.
Retention value propositions should:
- Demonstrate impact – Use storytelling and stats to show where the money goes.
- Maintain excitement – Celebrate winners regularly, and highlight the thrill of regular, weekly draws.
- Offer recognition – Even a simple “thank you” can remind players of their valued role.
Supporters stay when they feel seen, appreciated, and reassured that their small, regular contribution is making a big difference.
Upgrade: Earning a Bigger Commitment
As trust builds, some supporters are willing to give more, but only if the value proposition grows with their generosity. Upgrading someone from £1 a week to £2 or £3 isn't just about asking; it’s about justifying.
Strong upgrade messages might include:
- Increased impact – “Double your play, double the help for families in need.”
- Better odds or more entries – “Play £2 and get two chances to win every week.”
- Milestone appeals – “Help us provide 10,000 meals this month. Your extra entry helps us get there faster.”
The proposition should never feel transactional, but rather like a deeper partnership in your cause’s success.
Reactivation: Reigniting Dormant Supporters
Lapsed players are not lost forever, but reigniting their interest requires revisiting (and often refreshing) the value proposition. What was once relevant may no longer resonate.
Effective reactivation strategies include:
- New incentives – A larger jackpot or special campaign might reignite interest.
- Updated cause narratives – Share new impact stories or urgent appeals.
- Personalised approach – Tailor messaging to reflect the supporter’s past involvement: “We’ve missed you, and so have the people your support helps.”
Crucially, reactivation messaging must address the reason they left and offer a renewed reason to return.
The Takeaway
In a Direct Debit subscription charity lottery, your value proposition isn’t a one-time pitch, it’s an ongoing story you tell and prove, from first contact to long-term commitment and beyond. It must flex across the supporter lifecycle: capturing attention at the start, nurturing belief over time, and reigniting interest when needed.
Those charities and lottery providers who treat value proposition as a dynamic, strategic tool (not just a theory) are the ones who turn casual players into lifelong supporters. And in a crowded, competitive space, that’s the real jackpot.
Want To Make Your Value Proposition Work Harder?
Want help refining your charity lottery value proposition for better acquisition, retention, upgrade, or reactivation? Talk to Sterling – we help you craft messaging that grows your lottery and strengthens your supporter base.
enquiries@sterlinglotteries.co.uk
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About Sterling Lotteries
Sterling Lotteries partners with over 800 charities, providing leading prize-led expertise through responsible, innovative, and engaging weekly lotteries and raffles.
We power seamless player experiences, compliance peace of mind, and support charities running creative campaigns that bring prize-led fundraising to life.
www.sterlinglotteries.co.uk
enquiries@sterlinglotteries.co.uk