Q & A with Bryon Morrison, President, Digital
How does a program like Dunkin’ Donuts’ NY Wins, You Score! baseball promotion entice fans of coffee and baseball alike to engage with the brand through a native app?
It gives the brand another opportunity to reach out to them at a relevant time with a surprise-and -delight opportunity that builds brand equity and ideally drives foot traffic. For those in the stadium, the Yankees and Mets have a partner that brings a benefit when they hit a home run. The result in both cases is that Dunkin’ Donuts becomes an integral part of what the fans love and they get to deliver that enthusiasm to their front door.
Why are sports a good positioning system for this initiative? And Dunkin’ Donuts in general?
There’s an effect with affinities like sports, movies, gaming, etc., on people that’s special. These are things people are genuinely passionate about. It’s a connection very few brand s can create on their own with consumers. When a brand advertises around these passion points, the brand receives a sort of halo effect. Some of that affinity rubs off on the brand . From a marketing perspective, sports often engage both sides of the brain and can literally build a brand into that experience. For those brand s that simply activate with a sign in center field, there’s not as much engagement. But for companies like Dunkin’ Donuts that embed their brand s in the game and get the fans to take action, it has a substantial effect.
Do you think in-app offers are redeemed more than mailed or printable coupons?
Mobile coupons have averaged 8-10% redemption for some time and typically out-perform print. It makes sense because if they’re digital, you can introduce variables like time, location, personal preferences and previous behavior to make them more relevant. The print coupons often just get forgotten at home.