Mobile marketing drives guest traffic for special promotions

(April  21, 2008) As restaurant chains increase their efforts to target 18- to 34-year-olds, they’re quickly finding the best place to reach them is where they spend much of their time: on the phone.

The latest chains to launch mobile or interactive campaigns are Buffalo Wild Wings, which launched “Wild Messages” to promote its long-running Wing Tuesdays, and McDonald’s restaurants in Utah and parts of Nevada and Wyoming, which offer mobile coupons for free iced coffee.

In the past, such chains as Hardee’s, Denny’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks Coffee, Krystal, Wienerschnitzel and Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern used mobile coupons and text messages to make special offers available through cell phones.

Two studies released in March support efforts by marketers to reach consumers through interactive initiatives. A Nielsen Co. study reported that 51 percent of mobile-phone subscribers who saw a mobile ad during the last 30 days responded to it. A report by the PeopleMetrics market-research firm said that brands with strong customer engagement have loyal, repeat customers who promote the brand to others.

That’s the goal of the 500-unit Buffalo Wild Wings, which is using “Wild Messages” to encourage customers to invite friends to the restaurant through customized phone messages.

The chain’s website contains a section where customers submit the names of their friends and their phone numbers and e-mail addresses. They choose a time for dinner and pick one of three characters—space alien, “worldly” Frenchman and blonde twins—who send a customized invitation either by voice mail or e-mail.

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