Best of Baldwin is a community celebration, but unfortunately, contests like this can attract companies and individuals looking to make money by misleading participants.
Every year, businesses and finalists may receive emails, social media messages or other offers from people claiming they can help them win, sell votes or provide official Best of Baldwin products.
Please be careful. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Some outside companies market services that claim to sell votes, increase a business's chances of winning or even guarantee a Best of Baldwin victory.
These services are not legitimate and are not affiliated with Gulf Coast Media.
Do not pay anyone to submit votes on your behalf. Do not provide someone with your Best of Baldwin login information or allow an outside company to access your account to generate votes.
Our voting platform monitors voting activity, and attempts to manipulate the contest through purchased votes, fraudulent voting or other methods that violate the spirit or rules of Best of Baldwin can result in disqualification.
There is no legitimate way to buy your way to a Best of Baldwin win.
No one can guarantee that a business will win Best of Baldwin.
The winners are determined by legitimate votes from the public. Gulf Coast Media does not sell votes, guarantee winners or offer a paid service that can secure a finalist or winning position.
If someone contacts you claiming they can guarantee a win — especially in exchange for money — do not engage with them.
Another common scam involves companies contacting finalists or winners and offering to sell plaques, signs, trophies or other awards.
These companies are not affiliated with Gulf Coast Media, and products they sell are not official Best of Baldwin awards.
Every official Best of Baldwin winner receives a framed certificate from Gulf Coast Media at no charge.
Winners also receive official recognition through the Best of Baldwin magazine, website, social media, the Red Carpet Event and other Gulf Coast Media platforms.
You do not need to purchase a plaque, trophy or sign from an outside company to prove that you are a Best of Baldwin winner.
Scammers may use the Best of Baldwin name, Gulf Coast Media's name or information about your business to make an offer appear legitimate. An email or message mentioning your nomination or finalist status does not necessarily mean it came from us.
Be especially cautious if someone:
When in doubt, don't click, pay or provide information until you've verified the offer with Gulf Coast Media.
If you believe an email, social media message, phone call or offer is fake, do not reply or engage with the sender.
Do not click links, open attachments, provide personal or business information or make a payment.
Instead, forward the information or a screenshot of the message to promotions@gulfcoastmedia.com.
Our team can help determine whether the communication is legitimate and let you know if any action is needed.
We are happy to help you check.
If you receive an email, social media message, phone call or offer related to Best of Baldwin and aren't sure whether it is legitimate, contact us directly at promotions@gulfcoastmedia.com before responding or making a payment.
Remember: Best of Baldwin participation is free. Gulf Coast Media does not charge for nominations, votes or winning, and no outside company can guarantee you a win.
Looking for more information about the contest or ways to promote your business? We have several free resources available to help you make the most of Best of Baldwin.
Best of Baldwin Contest
Visit the main Best of Baldwin page for contest information, nominations,
voting, announcements and more.
Promote Your Business During Best of Baldwin
Discover advertising opportunities and easy ways to promote your business,
increase your visibility and stay top of mind with Best of Baldwin voters.
Free Best of Baldwin Promotion Toolkit
Download free Best of Baldwin graphics and find simple ideas for promoting your
nomination or finalist status on social media, in your business, in emails and more.
Best of Baldwin FAQs
Get answers to common questions about nominations, voting, finalists, winners,
the Red Carpet Event and more.