Interactive marketing agency Communicator integrated SMS marketing into Tooheys' sponsorship of Australia's State of Origin rugby tournament.
Tooheys New, which is the second-largest beer brand in Australia, sponsors various sporting teams and events such as the Tooheys New Melbourne Cup, the NSW Waratahs and State of Origin Team.
It based its SMS and web promotion on its latest television campaign - 'Give that man a New'. Consumers who purchased a Tooheys New 24-pack received a game card and unique number for an instant win prize draw.
SMS and the internet were used to provide real-time interaction.
The campaign achieved a seven per cent redemption rate, with more than 70 per cent of consumers entering the competition via SMS.
Communicator managing director, Damon Gorrie, said the results showed SMS was not limited to a young, teen market, but had a broader appeal.
"Over 70 per cent of what can sometimes be considered a more traditional (beer-drinking) audience chose SMS, with 80 per cent of entries falling within Tooheys New target demographic of 18 to 39 years old, said Gorrie.
The campaign collected 23,000 SMS entries, of which 9,736 were unique entries. "This means that consumers on average entered 2.4 times thereby increasing sales through repeat purchase and 'buy in' to the promotion.
"We know through the opt-in database collected that consumers linked purchase and promotion participation with the event. Each Wednesday night of the State of Origin recorded the highest number of entries. We can only assume that consumers were buying a Tooheys New 24 pack, going home, tuning in to the footie and SMS-ing to win."
