McFlurry with your phone?
In an effort to better connect with younger consumers, McDonald’s restaurants in southern California are enticing customers through their cell phones, offering mobile coupons for a free McFlurry.
Under the month-long promotion, customers text the message “McFlurry” to a five-digit short code promotional phone line. An electronic coupon for the free dessert is then downloaded to their cell phones; when consumers bring those cell phones to participating restaurants, they can redeem the coupon electronically.
More than 600 McDonald’s McDonald’s restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties are participating. Internet users can also get a coupon or send one to a friend by logging on to Mobilestr33t.com to enter another cell phone number. Coupons are redeemable in the Los Angeles area.
“This promotion is yet another example of how McDonald’s is reaching out to the youth market in a way that is meaningful to them,” said Clayton Paschen, III, president of the McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California (MOASC), in a statement.
Gamut Industries, a San Francisco, CA-based mobile marketing company developed the mobile technology, which delivers mobile coupons in SMS, WAP or J2Me formats.
The goal is to “create a compelling way to connect with the younger demographic and make McDonald’s a relevant brand in [consumers] lives,” David Moranville, managing director, Gamut Industries, said. “McDonald’s recognizes that this is a unique target audience. The old tried and true method to communicate with them just doesn’t work anymore.” The promotion targets consumers 14 to 26.
In addition, consumers who log on to Mobilest33t.com can download free cell phone wallpaper and ringtones featuring top artists including Linkin Park, No Doubt, Green Day and DJ Nelson.
The mobile coupon, as well as the free wallpaper and ringtones, pose great incentives for consumers, Moranville said. “You get immediate gratification,” he said. “There’s no mail. You just click.”
Buses and billboards will display the text messaging component of the campaign, while wild postings (randomly placed poster bills) will target high schools, colleges, skate parks and retail areas. Street teams will seed out cards during the promotion. In addition, airplanes will skywrite “Text McFlurry 73260” over sporting events, including an upcoming University of South California football game. The promotion ends Nov. 14.
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