Strongbow are launching a mobile marketing campaign involving promoting a shortcode for users to text in to in order to receive a promotional text entitling them to a free pint in their local. The offer will be promoting “Bowtime” which will run from 5pm-7pm on Tuesdays for a four week period. This is imaginative use of mobile and I applaud strongbow for this. Too many companies discount mobile as not fitting their industry or product but in coming up with this plan Strongbow have found a way of overcoming this. They are obviously also attempting to try and generate a social/viral element by coming up with Bowtime in the hope people adopt this moving forward. Also the chances of one pint becoming two, three, four are pretty high (I know from experience!) so they will still make their money on the resulting session. The Strongbow statement claimed they were “seeking to engage with Strongbow customers in a relevant and long term way”. I doubt this is the actual aim, I am guessing it is in response to the boom in the last two years of other cider brands (magners and bulmers in particular) as a way of reclaiming some ground. I can also imagine the people texting in the shortcode will then be the target of further offers to keep promoting Bowtime and continue its impact beyond the four week period. Ill certainly be tempted by a swift pint if I can get hold of the shortcode but am a little unconvinced Bowtime will become a regular in my weekly calendar. Full article here