ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

How Outback Steakhouse could have improved its mobile ad campaign

Outback Steakhouse had the right idea when it came to its mobile advertising campaign by promoting an ongoing deal. However, it fell short when consumers were led to an unoptimized landing page.

The company ran a mobile banner advertising campaign within Pandora?s iPhone application. This is the first mobile advertising effort from the company.

?An image of the food items being offered would likely contribute to the visual appeal and consumer attention garnered by Outback's campaign,? said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York.

?After the initial banner ad, there is no continuity with the marketing message as the special offer from the initial banner is not subsequently mentioned,? he said.

Mr. Buckingham is not affiliated with Outback Steakhouse. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Outback Steakhouse did not respond to press inquiries.

If at first?
The Outback Steakhouse mobile banner ad reads ?$14.99 Sirloin & Lobster Tail. For a limited time only. While supplies last, prices, products and participation may vary.?

When consumers tap on the mobile ad, it takes a while for the page to load.

Then, the company?s full Web site appears. However, consumers cannot pinch-and-zoom to view the content ? it simply loads as is.

Additionally, there is not indication of the offer featured on the landing page.

There is a Store Location feature that encourages consumers to enter their ZIP code, city or state to find the nearest restaurant.

Consumers can also browse the menu, learn more about the company and sign-up for offers.

While this is all great, the execution is not. It is difficult for consumers to browse the landing page and there is clearly too much information.

?try again
Outback Steakhouse could have made its mobile advertising campaign successful.

For starters, the company could have led consumers to a mobile-optimized page that promoted the deal.
The Store Locator option is clever, however, would have worked better had the page been optimized for mobile devices.

Additionally, the ad campaign should have featured less information, as to not over confuse the consumer.

?Consumers are given a lot of options like gift cards, rewards and even company Information on the mobile site which are not relevant specifically to the campaign and generally to mobile users,? Mr. Buckingham said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York