It's Bow-time

DESCRIPTION

Heavy marketing investment by rival Magners was challenging Strongbow’s position as the UK’s market leading cider brand. Strongbow needed to embrace new digital channels and reach out to lapsed users and a new generation of younger and tech savvy drinkers.

Strongbow’s target audience is predominantly male and their mobile phones are central to their working and social lives. They are often the ‘man in his white van’ who likes his jokes and wind ups.

Full page ads in The Sun, Metro Lite, ads on Virgin and Talksport radio, Sky TV, online and on the mobile internet invited drinkers to text one of a number of keywords plus their name, house number and postcode to 83400 to sign up for the BowTime club. BowTime exploited a full range of mobile innovations, including mobile coupons, which were used to redeem free pints in the 3,500 participating pubs and bars, post code look up technology to locate those bars. BowTime subscribers received a branded member pack by post.

Next, a viral mobile campaign was created on Flirtomatic, a mobile social networking site, to tell their friends about Strongbow. Mobile banner ads invited customers to send their friends and prospective ‘flirtees’ a virtual pint of Strongbow. All BowTime subscribers were entered into a 16 week CRM campaign, which comprised a series of engaging and entertaining BowTime mobile promotions. In-bar promotions captured people at point of sale and an on-pack text & win promotion helped the campaign in the off-trade market, inviting entrants to win a Smeg fridge every day.

There was also a viral wind-up-a-mate promotion in line with customer insights. Outbound messages were sent late afternoon on Fridays to ensure maximum attention as drinkers were primed for BowTime fun with their mates.
As a result, some 112,225 free pints were ‘ordered’ via mobile coupons. 300k ad impressions served on Flirtomatic and 30,000 virtual pints gifted. Strongbow sales peaked in 2008, the mobile BowTime promotion was cited as a critical factor.

IMAGES