Location: Kennebunk, Maine
Member Since: September 2009
Biggest Win: $1,000
Lifetime Tongal Earnings: $1,850
The Tongal Twelve is a new addition to the site that allows us to feature some of our most prolific members by asking them twelve questions about their experiences on Tongal. We’re starting with Tina Radel, a highly engaged member who has participated in seven contests during the four months since she joined the site. Her winning concept for the $10,000 LendingTree You To The Rescue MoneyRight Challenge solidified her presence on Tongal and was the inspiration behind Team Tiger Awesome’s first place “Runaway Mattress” video. Here’s what she had to say:
Caleb Light-Wills: How and when did you first find out about Tongal?
Tina Radel: I found out about Tongal in September 2009 from another video contest website called films4prizes.com.
CLW: Were you apprehensive about Tongal, or was it something that you understood immediately?
TR: No, I was not apprehensive at all. I understood it immediately.
CLW: What has been your favorite Tongal contest, thus far?
TR: LendingTree. We had a lot of fun making the video. I stalked garbage trucks, dressed up like an old lady and threw my son off his bike. Lots of laughs.
CLW: “Don’t sleep on your finances” is a pretty brilliant campaign slogan, as is the concept for your LendingTree commercial. How did you come up them?
TR: I was brainstorming, thinking of bad ways people manage their money. The story of a woman keeping her money in her mattress, which was later thrown away, came to mind and I decided to apply it to the LendingTree ad. I thought of the tagline “Don’t sleep on your finances,” which worked with the concept and it seemed to work for LendingTree’s objective.
CLW: I really enjoyed the video you based on your concept. Do you have a background in video production or other creative experience?
TR: I do have a video background as well as a background in multimedia production for software and the web. Currently, I manage a local TV station and have managed a few others in New Jersey and Maine. I also own a web hosting company, do freelance web design and have a few websites of my own.
CLW: Are you flattered by the fact that people used your concept as the basis for their videos?
TR: I was flattered! It was great to see the different interpretations.
CLW: Does it make you feel like a collaborator in the creative process?
TR: Yes. As an individual, it’s hard to take an idea and actually do something with it. Thomas Edison once said, “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” Tongal’s community provides the resources to take an idea and bring it to life. It would be really cool if LendingTree ended up using my concept for their ad campaign.
CLW: What do you think of Team Tiger Awesome’s interpretation of your idea with their “Runaway Mattress” video? It is something you could have foreseen?
TR: Very funny and well-produced. I did not foresee that interpretation, but I laughed very hard when I saw it. They were definitely thinking “outside the box.”
CLW: So how does it feel to win $1,000 for a 45-word concept? That’s over $22 per word.
TR: Awesome! Love to get paid for an idea. The wheels are always spinning in my head. It’s nice to get them out there and put them into action.
CLW: How do you feel about residuals?
TR: Bonus!
CLW: How long did it take you to get paid?
TR: I was paid promptly after the contest ended.
CLW: What are you going to spend the money on?
TR: I booked a trip for the family to Florida so we can take a break from the cold this winter! I also plan to invest in some new production equipment.
