Wendy’s to test coupons sent to phones

The nation’s No. 3 hamburger chain wants its customers’ cell-phone numbers.

Wendy’s International is trying a new mobile-coupon campaign for customers in the Northeast that allows them to get coupons via text messaging. The discounts can be redeemed on their mobile devices when shown to a Wendy’s cashier.

The program is an “opt-in” process, where customers agree to receive coupons and advertisements for discounts at Wendy’s locations. Options Media Group Holdings, a services provider for on-demand e-mail marketing based in Florida, is running the program.

The plan is for Options Media to eventually provide a nationwide mobile campaign for Wendy’s, said Scott Frohman, CEO of the marketing company.

“There has been a growing trend of advertisers shifting marketing dollars from traditional media to mobile devices, and we are able to stay in the forefront of these solutions,” he said in a statement.

More companies are looking to mobile advertising, according to eMarketer, an online market-research and trend-analysis firm. According to a recent study from the firm, spending on mobile advertising will gain momentum over the next five years, reaching $1.56 billion by 2013.

Already, 30 percent of mobile-device owners have used some form of marketing on their phones, according to Forrester Research Inc., a technology and market research firm in Massachusetts.