Dunkin' Donuts was named Interactive Marketer of the Year Tuesday at the 14th annual Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange awards competition. The awards recognize achievements in the development and implementation of interactive technologies in New England.
Dunkin' and its creative partners also won Best Cross Media Campaign for Create Dunkin's Next Donut by Studiocom, with Ryan Partnership, RF Binder and Hill Holliday.
Dunkin's interactive marketing this year included the Dunkin' Run microsite and iPhone app, which allows customers to facilitate online or mobile group ordering. The company also held its first-ever "Create Dunkin's Next Donut" contest, for which entrants created their own virtual donuts. The contest drew 130,000 online entrants and 330,000 virtual donut creations, along with 3 million Facebook impressions. The winning donut creation, "Toffee For Your Coffee," was sold in Dunkin' Donuts nationwide for a limited time.
Dunkin' Donuts also has been actively engaging with consumers on social media channels. Twitter and Facebook have increasingly become digital communal extensions of Dunkin' Donuts and channels for fans to interact with the brand.
The MITX Award winners competed in 28 Web categories in industries ranging from biotechnology/pharmaceuticals, to travel and tourism. Dunkin' was the only quick-service brand to receive recognition.
"Being named MITX Interactive Marketer of the Year is wonderful honor and a great thrill," said Cynthia Ashworth, Dunkin' Donuts vice president of consumer engagement. "This year, more than ever, Dunkin' Donuts has embraced the value of interactive, not only as a component of the overall marketing mix, but also as part of the all-encompassing Dunkin' Donuts experience. Along with our loyal fan base, we're excited about the seemingly endless possibilities within Interactive and are intent on continuing to make strides in this area."
The MITX awards started in 1996 and have grown to be the largest and most prestigious Web innovation awards competition of its kind in the country. The judging committee is comprised of more than 100 distinguished individuals from various disciplines, including members of the media, industry analysts, academia, creative directors, chief technology officers, webmasters, developers, producers, content providers and marketing executives and strategists.
