PÚCA NEWS

KFC shows appetite for mobile marketing

Fast food chain KFC has built up an extensive direct marketing database in Ireland following a successful mobile marketing campaign by Púca.

KFC was facing a particular challenge to its business: one of its outlets was underperforming and because of the diverse nature of its client base it was difficult to target the entire customer group through the usual promotional or marketing means. It was decided that a mobile marketing campaign would be the best way to achieve this.

Using a series of text-in competitions managed by Púca, KFC has been able to build up a large database of customers to which it can send meal offers and other promotional messages.

Púca set up a keyword for each branch, ranging from KFC1 to KFC6, which were advertised in each branch through flyers and posters. Customers texted the keyword to a freetext shortcode, 50100, to enter a series of draws to win prizes, ranging from a Sony Bravia TV and Apple iPod to a house party worth 2,000 Euros. The competitions were free to enter and by entering customers were opting into a database of ongoing communication. Once each draw was over, the list was used to send out offers and information about KFC.

The campaign began in one outlet but, seeing its positive impact, KFC soon decided to extend it to cover five other outlets nationwide. And now the various outlets compete with each other to see how many people they can get to sign up.

Vivienne Maguire, managing director of G2 Direct, the below-the-line division of Grey Helme, the advertising agency that commissioned the campaign, says that the success of the text-to-win promotion shows that the mobile channel is becomingly an increasingly important element of the marketing mix. We're pushing new technologies because they are high impact with low acquisition costs, she says.

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