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Mars Twix marries mobile and social with ad campaign

Candy brand Twix is ramping up its social media presence with a mobile ad campaign that drives traffic to the company?s Facebook page.

Twix is running the mobile ads as part of a bigger marketing initiative that encourages users to take a break by enjoying a candy bar. The ads are running inside the TV Guide iPhone application.

?The reality is that we like to use consumer-packaged-goods brands while we on the go, and that is why I think mobile is a great way to target people,? said Alan Warms, founder and executive chairman at Appolicious, Chicago.

?Letting consumers ?like? a page on Facebook is a way to connect and engage with a brand while out of the office. It is smart and clever marketing,? he said. 

Mr. Warms is not associated with Twix. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Twix did not respond to press enquiries.

Mobile break
The banner ads feature the Twix logo and copy that reads, ?Keep pausing on Facebook.?

When users tap on the ad, they are directed to the brand?s Facebook page via a mobile landing page.

Consumers can then ?like? the brand, see what others are saying about Twix or post a message to the page.

Social media is inheritably mobile, and giving consumers a quick way to interact with a brand via Facebook is a great way for a company to build a group of followers.

The mobile ads also correlate to Twix?s current marketing program on its Web site that heavily ties in social media. For example, consumers can sync their Facebook accounts online to play a Web game called Feed Breaker that incorporates a user?s friends.

Context is key
By placing the ads in an entertainment place such as the TV Guide app, Twix is able to get its content in front of consumers who are more likely to be interested in its products.

Twix is not the only company using mobile advertising to up its social media game.

Most recently, Chapstick used a mobile campaign to boost its social media presence (see story).

Chapstick ran both full-page and banner ads in Pandora to encourage consumers to ?like? the brand?s Facebook page.

Using mobile to increase social media traffic gives marketers a way to create a one-on-one relationship with consumers. Smart brands are able to create a two-way dialogue with users by letting them talk and share via social media.

?The No. 1 activity that humans like to do is connect,? Mr. Warms said.

?Purchase decisions will be driven by social media to see how consumers are influenced by their friends and social graphs,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York