In Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Charlie is a poor boy with big dreams. Although his dreams come true in the end, finding the golden ticket inside a Wonka Bar was no easy feat for him. In today’s world of social media, however, contests like the one Charlie won have become a little easier.

Arizona Beverages recently held a nationwide promotion enabling consumers to win Shaquille O’Neal headphones; a limited-edition O’Neal poster; a Soda Shaq Swag Bag; four cases of Soda Shaq; or a meet-and-greet with O’Neal including round-trip airfare for the winner and one guest, a one-night hotel accommodation, and a $500 spending allowance. All the consumer had to do was find one of five Soda Shaq Golden Cans in one of five unspecified 7-Eleven stores across the country. Sound difficult? Luckily, consumers had social media on their side.

Between Aug. 14 and Sept. 3, Arizona Beverages and O’Neal provided clues about the golden cans’ whereabouts on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, instead of eliminating each consumer along the way by sounding a miniature flute and singing an explanatory rhyme, Arizona Beverages simply held a drawing for the O’Neil meet-and-greet grand prize and announced it on Twitter and Facebook. For Soda Shaq, 7-Eleven and O’Neal fans, this time it paid to stay digitally connected!

 After launching the Soda Shaq Cream Soda line in June, the Golden Can Sweepstakes is another way to bring consumers into 7-Eleven stores for an exclusive experience.