KFC mobile ad campaign exceeds 180,000 impressions in 12 days

Quick-service restaurant giant KFC ran a 12-day mobile advertising campaign with eBuddy that achieved more than 180,000 impressions.

To create awareness for the iTwist, KFC filled every position available on eBuddy Mobile and the eBuddy iPhone application. Consumers in the Netherlands that clicked on the banner got a buy-one-iTwist-get-one-free coupon. In addition to the 180,000-plus impressions generated via eBuddy, 1,150 consumers clicked through to get the mobile coupon.

“The KFC campaign focused on a new product, the iTwist,” said Rogier van den Heuvel, vice president of worldwide sales at eBuddy, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. “They launched the iTwist as a new fancy bite, and therefore wanted to use a new and innovative way to promote it.

“The mobile platform helped them to interact with their target audience by providing them with coupons that offered a reduction on the purchase of the new iTwist at the nearest KFC,” he said.

Web and mobile instant messaging aggregator service eBuddy processes more than 15 billion messages per month and enables more than 30 million unique monthly visitors to chat in one interface across all major IM networks, including AIM, Facebook Chat, Google Talk, Hyves, ICQ, MySpace, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo.

Who are you calling chicken?
The KFC mobile ad campaign ran on eBuddy’s J2ME and iPhone platforms January 12-24.

When mobile users clicked on the KFC banner ad on their mobile phone, they received a coupon that let them get one iTwist for free by presenting and showing the unique coupon at any KFC restaurant.

While the click-through rate of KFC’s mobile campaign was less than one percent, the large number of impressions helped to fulfill the campaign goal of creating awareness for the new iTwist.

In addition, the mobile coupons were effective in driving traffic into KFC locations in the Netherlands.

KFC booked follow-up campaigns on the same platforms, which shows that the campaign was a success, according to eBuddy.

Here is a screengrab of KFC’s iTwist banner ad within eBuddy’s iPhone application:

“The target demographics included everyone with a mobile phone in the Netherlands,” Mr. van den Heuvel said.

“EBuddy is one of the largest mobile platforms in the Netherlands, so it provided one of the easiest ways to reach their goal which was to reach as many people as they possibly could,” he said.

By Dan Buthcher

June 2, 2010

Crocs rolls out nationwide mobile coupons campaign: case study

Name and city and state of agency or marketing services firm
Knotice, Akron, OH

Campaign/program name
Instant Savings

Duration
Ongoing

Common short code and keywords used
Text CROCS and a Crocs store number to 63103

Objective
To provide consumers with, and get them to redeem, an instant savings coupon for 15 percent off of a Croslite purchase.

Target audience
Consumers between the ages of 18-50

Strategy
Crocs’ strategy is to proactively engage consumers through timely mobile communications and provide a positive value exchange for its customers

Creative call to action
“What is a foot’s bestest friend? Find out and save 15 percent off today! It is as easy as one, two, three …

“1. Text ‘CROCS 1234’ to 63103 on your mobile phone.

“2. Instantly receive a 15 percent off coupon code answer.

“3. Show the mobile coupon code to the cashier at check out.”

Tactics
Signage with instructions, the store number and short code was placed throughout 185 Crocs retail locations nationwide.

Store associates were trained and motivated to support the program, spoke with customers about the mobile coupon, and encouraged them to stay opted-in to receive further communications and discounts from Crocs.

Results
Crocs received 94,000 requests for coupons during the first month of the campaign.

What next
Crocs plans to offer additional coupons and information via SMS to customers.

Also, Crocs plans to use SMS to drive traffic to retail locations and its Web site.

Additionally, Crocs plans to implement advanced mobile tactics such as sending targeted messaging to consumers based on anything from its previous shopping experience, purchase history, online activity and demographics.

Lessons learned
Mobile is an extremely efficient and effective way to engage consumers.

Consumers respond well to coupons delivered to their mobile devices versus having to print and bring in an email coupon.

Engagement and enthusiasm were off the charts.

Surprise finding
When store staff is trained and motivated to support an in-store SMS program, it is very successful.

Strategy quote
“Crocs customers are on-the-go, very active individuals,” said Jay Custard, global online marketing director at Crocs Inc. “Being able to connect with them in a meaningful way via their mobile device allows us to create a valuable shopping experience and to have a one-on-one dialogue with our customers.

“Mobile helps us reach our customers, regardless of their location, and provide them with valuable, useful information,” he said.

“Knotice worked with us to develop a strategy that allows us to better understand our consumers through the analysis of both known and behavioral attributes and proactively engage them via the mobile channel.”

A&P Hosts ‘Text, Give, Save’

A&P is rewarding shoppers for their generosity as part of a first-of-its-kind cause marketing campaign that incorporates text messaging.

Customers at A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum’s, SuperFresh and The Food Emporium can text “KIDS” to 90999 to send a $5 donation to the Children’s Miracle Network which raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals throughout North America.

Once the donation is confirmed, $10 in coupons will be automatically loaded to the shopper’s club card. The week-long programs starts July 15.

Procter & Gamble brands like Always, Bounty, Cascade, Charmin, Crest, Gillette, Olay, Pampers, Pantene and Tide are participating.

The program is powered by Zavers, A&P’s mobile coupon partner.

“This innovative campaign is the first of its kind in the market and will not only help us support CMN and the children that need its assistance, but it will also reward our shoppers for their generosity with great savings on national brands,” said Ron Marshall, president and chief executive officer of A&P, in a statement.

By MONTVALE, N.J.

27-July-2010

Coca-Cola turns mobile phone into loyalty card with new program

The Coca-Cola Co. is ramping up its mobile loyalty initiatives in North America by partnering with a Canadian wireless carrier to drive participation in its “Twist TXT Save” program.

In conjunction with Toronto-based Rogers Wireless, the beverage giant issued mobile calls-to-action via email, its Web site, the carrier’s site and on-package. The partners are running an under-the-cap SMS promotion along with the “Summer’s Sweetest Moments” MMS sweepstakes.

“Coke has been doing this for years—you can go online to enter the codes or do so from your cell phone by texting them in,” said Julie Ask, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, Boston. “You have to sign up online for the program—name, address and carrier.

“You opt-in to have promotions—mostly their sweepstakes—pushed out to you occasionally,” she said. “What is interesting to me here is Rogers’ involvement.”

The mobile medium is a key component of Coca-Cola’s loyalty and customer relationship management initiatives (see story).

Twist TXT Save, AirBonus
Coca-Cola has successfully turned its classic Coke bottle into a mini-retail environment to run direct-to-consumer affinity programs.

Coke prints a unique PIN under the bottle cap which acts as a proof of purchase.

Rogers subscribers who text the under-the-cap PIN number to the short code 42653 get $0.75 off their mobile phone bill or $1,000 iCoke points.

Coca-Cola single-serve bottles in stores across Canada carry the following mobile call-to-action:

“This bottle gets you $0.75 off your Rogers Wireless bill. Get PIN under cap & text to 42653 to redeem or get 1,000 iCoke Points @ iCoke.ca. Max 10 discounts/customer/week.”

Coca Cola has taken this in-store strategy to the next level in Britain (see story).

In Britain and Canada, Coke Points can be instantly redeemed on O2 and Rogers Wireless networks for an instant credit on wireless minutes.

It is only a matter of time before United States carriers take advantage of similar opportunities.

“Airbonus is an exciting opportunity for brands as it offers a new way of driving a sale without discounting the product,” said Gary Schwartz, CEO of mobile aggregator Impact Mobile, Toronto.

“Airbonus is an exciting opportunity for brands as it offers a new way of driving a sale without discounting the product,” he said. “Airbonus eliminates the need for clearing houses and offers a mobile CRM channel.”

Coke’s program works as an affinity channel in any store allowing the consumer to text message the PINs to collect Coke Points.

Promotional PINs are alphanumeric codes found on specially marked Coca-Cola products and on special promotion materials that can be redeemed on both via mobile and online.

These PIN codes give registered MyCokeRewards Members in the U.S. and iCoke in Canada of the chance to collect iCoke Points and instantly win prizes. Everyone who enters a PIN code receives the number of iCoke Points.

Consumers work to accumulate points to redeem against tickets and other valued swag.

“What I like about this new campaign is that it leverages immediacy,” Ms. Ask said. “People are more likely to redeem these points if they don’t need to carry them around in their pocket until they get in front of a computer.

“And, Coke gets to know when and where people are buying and consuming drinks,” she said. “It offers all the benefits of sweepstakes—lots of excitement and people buy more cokes, but it doesn’t deliver qualified leads.”

In addition to the service providing a revenue stream for the carriers that have increasingly become disenfranchised from the mobile marketing and advertising value chain, the service, called AirBonus, could revitalize a dying rebate business, as there is no need for clearing houses and the shopper does all the work.

Most importantly, there is an instant rebate: Cash in hand for the mobile consumer.

This provides a compelling value exchange for consumers: Redeem loyalty points on a handset and the brand will top up minutes on the same redemption device.

Coke is using the phone as retailers use a plastic loyalty card.

The value exchange can be moved seamless on and off the card, or in this case, the mobile phone.

Ideally, the mobile program would eliminate the need for a rebate or coupon clearing houses, cutting out time delays or intermediaries between the brand and the shopper.

Summer’s Sweetest Moments via MMS
Coca-Cola is also running a mobile sweepstakes in partnership with Rogers called Summer’s Sweetest Moments, which has the tagline “Celebrating Canada’s Freshest Summer Pics!”

The call-to-action appears on the iCoke.ca Web portal:

“Want to win a BlackBerry Pearl 9100 smartphone plus a $100 Rogers Gift Card? Enter the Summer’s Sweetest Moments Contest! Click here!”

Consumers are asked to text in pictures from their Rogers mobile phone to the short code 42653 to win a BlackBerry Pearl 9100 smartphone plus a $100 Rogers gift card.

“The photo contest is fun—it’s social,” Ms. Ask said. “Obviously, it is a lot more fun if my friends or people I know are a participating and posting—most will post on Facebook.

“The ability to post more than one place at once would be cool, both to their promotion and your own accounts on Facebook [and other social networks],” she said. “Participation here will be driven more by size of prizes than engagement with social media aspects.”

By Dan Butcher

23-July-2010

HipCricket rolls out fully trackable SMS mobile coupons

Mobile marketing firm HipCricket has introduced an SMS mobile coupon service targeted toward retailers and quick-service restaurants.

The mobile coupon service from HipCricket gives brands and retailers a greater reach than mobile coupon services that require added technology and hardware for both the retailer and the consumer. Instead, HipCricket’s mobile coupons take advantage of the reach and measurability of SMS.

“The strategy is to make mobile coupon solutions simple and straightforward,” said Eric Harber, president and chief operating officer at HipCricket, Kirkland, WA. “Sometimes simple is elegant.

“This new measurable solution puts mobile couponing in the reach of 240 million or more Americans who have text messaging on their phone,” he said. “It allows retailers of all shapes and sizes to use mobile coupons and measurably increase customer loyalty and sales and they don’t have to upgrade at point-of-sale terminals.

“Many mobile couponing solutions that are being talked about in the market are predicated by large-scale changes for the consumer or large scale changes by the retailer, which is incredibly expensive.”
Jeff Hasen

HipCricket is a software and services mobile marketing company dedicated to driving sales and generating revenue for clients using SMS, mobile Web/WAP and mobile advertising services.

HipCricket touts some big-name clients such as Clear Channel Radio, NBC, CBS, Nestle, Macy’s, Staples, Hershey’s and Jameson.

The new mobile coupon offering from HipCricket gives consumers single-use promotional codes that are trackable by any point-of-sale system that accepts Visa or MasterCard.

The service also features a specific offering for quick-service restaurants called QSR Plus, which adds continuous consulting to help businesses maintain and increase customer loyalty, establish a dialogue with consumers and increase customer spend and frequency.

The mobile coupon service is built on a software-as-a-service platform.

The offering from HipCricket requires no new hardware, servers or infrastructure and eliminates production and distribution costs by getting rid of paper coupons altogether.

The mobile coupon service also delivers real-time analytics and reporting to give retailers instant measurability and the option to make changes mid-campaign.

The coupon offering fits in with existing membership and loyalty programs and integrates with packaging, point-of-sale and traditional advertising.

From a consumer perspective, the process is very similar to most other SMS campaigns involving a keyword and short code.

Upon seeing the call-to-action, the consumer can text-message the keyword to a short code to receive a mobile voucher that includes a unique eight-digit code and promotional message.

Then the user shows mobile voucher to the employee at the point-of-sale terminal, who then inputs the unique eight-digit code into the register system.

The validity of the voucher is checked in real time with the coupon server and, if valid, the voucher is redeemed.

The HipCricket coupon platform also works as a customer relationship management tool, giving retailers the opportunity to remarket to those who have texted in for a coupon, provided that they follow the double-opt-in standard.

“During the recession the interest in receiving offers and coupons was astounding,” said Jeff Hasen, chief marketing officer at HipCricket, Kirkland, WA. “Have you met anybody out there these days who’s not looking for a deal?

“In the fourth quarter of 2008, coupon redemption moved up 10 percent,” he said. “Mobile coupon offerings are here to stay and even as the economy gets better, people will still be looking to stretch their dollars in the most convenient way possible.”

By Jordan Crook

1 October 2009

Best Buy makes weekly circular more interactive with mobile marketing

Electronics retail giant Best Buy has made its weekly circular interactive by incorporating mobile calls-to-action into some of the pages.

The mobile elements that are added into the pages, including 2D bar codes and SMS calls-t0-action, are meant to give consumers further engagement – the kind they cannot possibly get by looking at a static circular. Mobile gives legs to print advertising, making it work harder for the advertiser.

“We’re enabling interactivity and capsulating our reader into our broader app,” said Doug Thompson, cofounder/CEO of Launch Media, Plymouth, MN. “When a consumer is in-store, they call up the reader, utilize our technology to scan the bar code and get the content.

“The system recognizes what phone you have,” he said. “Windows Mobile and BlackBerry, however, push direct to download.”

Best Buy is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States accounting for about 20 percent of the market.

Launch Media delivers integrated mobile marketing strategies and services. It helped Best Buy make its circular more interactive.

Consumers browsing the circular are given the opportunity to view the new Super Mario Galaxy 2 game.

The ad for the game in the circular features an embedded QR code with an invisible watermark and any smartphone device can access the code and view the trailer.

There is a call-to-action on the front page encouraging consumers to text the keyword BBYAPP to the short code 332211 to download the QR code reader application.

Once the application is downloaded, users can launch the reader and hold their smartphone over the special code to watch the trailer.

Ads on a different page of the circular encourage consumers to text-in for a Best Buy location closest to them. Users are encouraged to text their ZIP code to the short code 332211.

This is not Best Buy’s first foray into mobile.

Best Buy has an iPhone and iPod touch application, letting consumers browse weekly deals and search the retailer’s entire inventory.

In addition, users can see reviews, view and enlarge the product views, fill and manage their favorites and shopping cart, view exclusive content and deals.

There is also an IdeaGift feature that lets consumers discover gift ideas during the holidays.

Consumers can click-to-buy any product via their handset.

In February, Best Buy was ranked No. 1 in mobile homepage performance, beating out Sears and Barnes & Noble (see story).

This latest initiative is an example of the way which Best Buy is using mobile to future engage consumers.

“Our codes provide a more open structure so any reader would be able to read this,” Mr. Thompson said. “The mobile marketing platform is tailored to a large enterprise retail engagement.”

By Rimma Kats

May 27, 2010

Supermarket chain A&P debuts mobile coupons with brand participation

Supermarket chain A&P tapped digital incentive and information management company Zavers to offer SMS-based mobile couponing at participating A&P grocery stores.

Several national brands have begun using Zavers’ mobile platform as part of the Red Tag Online Savings program at A&P, Waldbaum’s and SuperFresh, the Online Advantage Program at Pathmark and the Fresh Online Savings program at The Food Emporium. Participating brands include Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, the Quaker Oats Co. and Bayer Healthcare.

“A&P and Zavers believe it should be easier for consumers to save on the products they want, regardless of the screen they want to use,” said Anita Newton, chief marketing officer at Zavers, Kansas City, KS. “In 2009, together we launched an online service where consumers save coupons into a centralized digital wallet directly linked to their loyalty card.

“Mobile works exactly the same way and is a natural extension of this strategy,” she said. “Additionally, mobile has the added appeal of targeting new users, using a low cost channel to stimulate impulse purchases in the store, and providing real time offers, response, and results.

“These benefits are made even more appealing given the seamless process at the point of sale.”

Founded in 1859, A&P is one of the nation’s first supermarket chains.

The company operates 433 stores in eight states and the District of Columbia under the following trade names: A&P, Waldbaum’s, Pathmark, Best Cellars, The Food Emporium, Super Foodmart, SuperFresh and Food Basics.

Zavers offers paperless coupons on mobile phones and on the Internet so consumers can save on the products they want at their favorite stores.

Mobile coupons reaching the mass market
The partners claim that mobile coupons, discount offers stored on a wireless device, are seeing increased usage, but are still considered too unwieldy for widespread adoption.

Zavers claims that its mobile technology effectively removes those negatives by offering consumers a simple text-and-save experience.
Unilever mobile coupons offered by Zavers

Unilever mobile coupons offered by Zavers

When consumers sign up for A&P’s 100 percent paperless, digital coupons, they are prompted with the option to receive coupons and discounts via their mobile phone number.

Essentially, an A&P shopper who has opted in receives an offer via text message and replies with a code.

The coupon is automatically deposited in the customer’s Zavers-powered account, which is already linked to the retail store’s shopper loyalty program.

The shopper picks up the product, and at check-out swipes the loyalty savings card, something he or she is already used to doing.

The coupon amount is automatically and instantly deducted from the bill and the savings are printed on the receipt.

Zavers claims that the user experience of SMS-based coupons translates to increased loyalty and customer satisfaction, which benefits both product advertisers and retailers.

“With SMS-based mobile coupons, consumers can save money and even more importantly, save time,” Ms. Newton said. “In the paper world, users must cut, store, file and remember to retrieve the coupons at point of sale.

“With mobile, consumers simply respond to a text message and the coupons are automatically deposited to the shoppers account which is directly tied to their loyalty card,” she said. “Accordingly, at the cash register, consumers do not have to pull out a wad of coupons and suffer the embarrassment of slowing down the checkout lane.”

Mr. Newton said that not only are mobile coupons easier to distribute and redeem, but they are better for the environment.

“Instead, the shopper simply hands the cashier her loyalty card and her savings are removed automatically and instantly from her bill and printed on her receipt,” Ms. Newton said. “Not only is this process fast and easy, it is a much greener way to save money as well, because no trees are killed to create and distribute paper coupons.”

Additionally, the Zavers platform provides advertisers with measurement of their promotional efforts beyond clicks and views, including which offers are leading to the sale of a product in a retail store.

Zavers claims that unlike other technologies that require cashiers to manually enter a series of numbers or scan multiple bar codes, Zavers’ mobile coupons are automatically linked to the retailer’s loyalty card so the process is seamless and scalable.

Consumer interest in Zavers’ paperless coupon technology has been strong, with some redemption rates as high as 45 percent, compared to around 1 percent for paper-based coupons.

This is expected to only increase with the growth of mobile programs in various sectors.

“Many of our CPG clients have expressed interest in offering discounts via text message,” Ms. Newton said. “They tell us they are interested in the ability to target a new generation of shopper that is increasingly turning to online and mobile media sources for product information and savings opportunities.”

In addition, Zavers can tell an advertiser if a coupon actually led to a sale of a product in the store.

“This ability to close the digital loop for our CPG clients is a big difference maker,” Ms. Newton said. “Currently, we are partnering with a few national brands, with more to follow soon.

“These brands represent a cross section of products in dairy, snacks, health and beauty,” she said.

By Dan Butcher

March 17, 2010

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