Tyson Foods scored high with its text-messaging campaign at the Tyson American Cup international gymnastics competition earlier this month.
The on-site promo invited spectators to text a message to World Champion gymnast Chellsie Memmel for a chance to win seats on the floor during the March 4 competition. Halfway through the gymnastics competition, one winner got a call from Memmel to meet her on the floor and watch the rest of the program together.
All other participants got a follow-up message from Memmel the next day, thanking them for playing and encouraging them to stay in contact with Tyson online. Fifty-seven percent of the audience entered the contest.
“This technology allowed us to effectively amplify the Tyson presence in the arena and initiate a dialog with more than half the families in attendance,” said Tyson senior VP-CMO Bob Corscadden in a statement.
Springdale, AR-based Tyson is testing mobile marketing “to build more direct relationships with consumers,” Corscadden said. “Success will allow us to more effectively activate sponsorship properties like the U.S. Olympic Team and USA Gymnastics.”
The tourney was Tyson’s first appearance since signing as sponsor of USA Gymnastics last month (Xtra, Feb. 23). The deal runs through the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Tyson also signed on to sponsor the U.S. Olympic Team for the 2008 Games and the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.
Tyson first tapped gymnastics for marketing in 2004, as a USA Gymnastics sponsor and associate sponsor of the team’s post-Olympic tour, the T.J. Maxx Tour of Champions. That effort, including sampling at tour stops, was part of Tyson’s $75 million campaign that launched the theme “Powered by Tyson” and positioned the brand as “the world’s largest provider of protein” (following its 2001 purchase of beef and pork processor IBP, Inc.). Tyson spent $125 million on the campaign in fiscal 2005 and will boost spending again this year.
Tyson sales topped $26 billion for fiscal 2005, ended Oct. 1; that’s down 1.7% from 2004, its first decline in three years. Tyson plans to boost sales with more value-added products; its new R&D facility, the Discovery Center, opens in stages this year.
Gymnasts are a strategic niche target for Tyson, because their training diet relies heavily on lean protein. Arnold Brand Promotions, Boston, handles Tyson promos, with parent Arnold Worldwide as the lead agency on advertising. Tech firm LocaModa, Somerville, MA, executed the text-message contest at the tournament.
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