Success with Text? Look to Restaurants.

A follow up to an earlier post about SMS Text having success with Retail, and why they are important use cases for musicians. Text Marketing is also having terrific success with restaurants.

Most of the use cases are oriented towards Coupons…. That makes sense. The real value, though, just as it is for musicians, is building up a data base of engaged, opted in fans of the Brand. Check out these examples:

 Applebees – is another restaurant collecting email addresses through the use of a text message marketing campaign. The text message call-to-action appears in their menu, instructing customers to text their zip code and email address to their short code.

Arby’s - has created their own text messaging campaign to increase customer loyalty. You get a free small Dr. Pepper with the purchase of any sandwich when you opt-in, which is a great way for any text messaging campaign to grow their SMS subscriber database fast.

Baskin Robbins – is another brand turning to text messaging to grow their email database. Baskin-Robbins now has in-store signage instructions customers to join their Birthday Club by texting “BDAY” their email address to the SMS short code 31310.

Dunkin’ Donuts  - wanted to entice high school/college age students in the Boston area to try their hot lattes. They used text message marketing to drive in-store redemption of $0.99 small hot latte mobile coupon.  The SMS offer was sent to 7,500 targeted opt-ins. The campaign messaging coupled with radio created a 21 percent increase in store traffic and redemption of the mobile coupon. The SMS message promoted the viral element of the coupon. This proved to be a very beneficial aspect of the campaign, in that 17 percent of participants forwarded or showed the message to a friend. In the research subsequent to the campaign, 35 percent considered themselves more likely to buy lattes and coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.

IHOP - is connecting with consumers using SMS Text marketing. Consumers are encouraged to opt-in for a free short stack of pancakes.Calls to action are publicized in Money Mailer direct mail pieces. Consumers are asked to text the keyword IHOPFREE to short code 686868. IHOP is seeing a 10% mobile coupon redemption rate.

Caribou Coffee  - ran a sweepstakes via text message that gave participants a chance to win free beverages for a year to celebrate the launch of a new store in Illinois. This contest generated awareness of the new store and built a database of opted-in mobile users for future promotions.

Hooters  - has been using SMS for years and constantly turns to the channel to drive consumer engagement.  Consumers were encouraged to text the keyword FOOTBALL to the short code 36832 in order to enter to win a trip for two to the 2013 Super Bowl. Furthermore, Hooters was able to build up its mobile database by 50,000 customers.

Jack in the Box –  are reporting that redemption rates for coupons from Text Marketing are 3-5 times greater than redemption rates from email marketing, and 21% of Text recipients are recommending the store to others.