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Bret Thorn
Dunkin’ Donuts has launched two social media campaigns as a reward to customers.
For the first campaign, Facebook fans of the quick-service coffee and doughnut chain can register to compete on Facebook Places or Foursquare, then “check in” at any Dunkin’ Donuts location up to once an hour 10 times a day.
Every week, the person who checks in most often will be named president of Dunkin’ Nation, a company term for the chain’s fan base, and will win a 50-inch LCD television, a personalized $200 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card, and an exclusive Dunkin’ Nation President t-shirt and mug.
Dan Saia, Dunkin’ Donuts’ vice president of consumer engagement, said this was the chain’s first national location-based social promotion.
“Our consumers are out and about every day, and the brand is about getting them going in the morning and keeping them going all day,” he said. “This is a way of rewarding them for being so dedicated and passionate.”
It would also likely help drive sales, he said, even though participants don’t have to purchase anything to check in; they need only to be near a Dunkin’ Donuts store.
Any participant who checks in at least once is eligible to win a $25 gift card on that day.
Sims Social is an extension of the popular Sims franchise, which allows players to manage the daily lives of virtual people. Players of the Social version can give a Dunkin’ Donuts product as a gift. The particular product will change during the course of the six-month promotion.
The Sims game is about “developing relationships and getting through the day,” Saia said, and that dovetails with Dunkin’ Donuts’ intended role in people’s lives.
“This isn’t just a product placement. Using or gifting a Dunkin’ Donuts product also enhances the game,” he said. “Games simulating life is really what’s happening.”
Saia wouldn’t say how much Dunkin’ paid for the exclusive deal, but he did say, “we got a great value for what we’re doing with them.”
The company may consider extending the arrangement beyond six months.
Dunkin’ Donuts is owned by Dunkin’ Brands Inc. and has more than 6,700 units in the U.S.
EARLIER: Commodity costs drive price hikes at Dunkin’
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @foodwriterdiary
