Soft-pretzel franchise Auntie Anne's is encouraging membership in its e-mail loyalty club with a holiday campaign focused on text messaging.
The new campaign encourages holiday shoppers to send a text message to receive exclusive coupons and discounts delivered to their e-mail inbox. Promoted through in-store signage and emblazoned on the company's cups and pretzel sleeves, the campaign directs customers to text PRETZEL to 80565 to join the company's e-mail Pretzel Perks and begin receiving e-mail coupons.
Powered by on-demand e-mail marketing and one-to-one marketing provider ExactTarget, the campaign is expected to run through January.
"Text messaging allows us to connect with our customers when they are fully engaged with our brand," said April Hoelscher, director of marketing at Auntie Anne's Inc. "By encouraging holiday shoppers to send a quick text message to join Pretzel Perks, we eliminate the need for someone to remember to log on to our Web site and subscribe to our e-mail program when they get home."
Once a customer sends a text message to join Pretzel Perks, a text message response is automatically triggered back requesting the customer reply with a defined keyword and email address. Using ExactTarget's integrated text messaging features, the e-mail address is automatically transferred to Auntie Anne's Pretzel Perks e-mail account and an e-mail is generated featuring a link to a downloadable coupon. Housed on an ExactTarget landing page, the coupon can be redeemed in-store and includes links to share the offer with friends.
The addition of text messaging to Auntie Anne's ExactTarget-powered e-mail marketing efforts follows the pretzel maker's overhaul of its e-mail marketing strategy, developed by Richards Relationship Marketing earlier this year. Launched in August, the Auntie Anne's e-mail program includes an automated welcome e-mail and triggered birthday message that have both posted open rates in excess of 50 percent.
The addition of text messaging to Auntie Anne's holiday marketing efforts comes in the wake of Deloitte's 24th Annual Holiday Survey of retail spending and trends, which found nearly one in five consumers (19 percent) plan to use mobile phones to assist with their holiday shopping. The survey found nearly one third (32 percent) of those plan to use their mobile phone to get discounts and coupons.
