Miller Lite uses mobile to court basketball fans during March Madness

By Dan Butcher

March 10, 2010

Miller Lite is targeting iPhone users who like basketball

MillerCoors has added to its iPhone portfolio with a new application called Tip ‘n Spin launched to coincide with March Madness and the NCAA basketball tournament.

The new application provides a brand experience for legal-drinking-age basketball fans, letting them compete and earn points by balancing a basketball on a Miller Lite bottle with their iPhone. The application was created by digital marketing agency Digitas in partnership with mobile media agency MediaMob Inc.

“Miller's strategy is to provide their target audience with a fun experience to engage with the Miller Lite brand during the March Madness tournament,” said Matt Snyder, founder/president of MediaMob, Arlington, MA. “This is the sixth app from Miller Lite, making it one of the most heavily invested CPG brands on the iPhone app platform.

“They view Tip 'n Spin as an excellent way to put a fun, engaging experience into the hands of their target audience and then have them share that experience with their social tribe—on their iPhones as well as on Facebook,” he said.

With sister agencies Starcom MediaVest, ZenithOptimedia and Denuo, Digitas is a member of Publicis Groupe's VivaKi.

What goes up...must come down, spinning ball...has to go 'round

Paris-based Publicis Groupe S.A. is the world’s third-largest communications group, the world’s second-largest media counsel and buying group and a specialist in digital and healthcare communications.

Digitas is the digital agency of record for Miller Lite, helping them with all facets of their digital strategy.

“MediaMob worked with Digitas and Miller Lite to help create the best design for the application and brought our best-practice guidelines to the development process,” Mr. Snyder said.

“The challenges we helped address were to make the app as engaging as possible, while also accomplishing important brand objectives like driving users to become a fan of Miller Lite Taste Nation on Facebook,” he said.

“We also recommended the ‘More Apps’ page to provide a simple solution for users to identify additional apps from the brand.”

Getting tipsy
Mobile applications have been a huge hit with beer drinkers, according to MillerCoors.

Miller Lite Tip ‘n Spin, MillerCoors’ sixth iPhone application, is an example of how a consumer packaged goods brand is embracing mobile technology to tap into the passions of its audience.

The application is integrated with Miller Lite’s March hoops marketing campaign that is rolling out nationwide.

The target demographic is males ages 21-34.

Fans can download the application from iTunes or the App Store on their iPhone or iPod Touch for free and can play, earn points and then later share the results with their friends on Facebook.

The application provides a tool to add fans to the “Miller Lite Taste Nation” Facebook page, as well as a landing page within the application to drive downloads for other mobile applications from MillerCoors.

“Miller Lite is integrated into the game in a very organic way....this is not a ‘hard sell’ where the brand has no purpose or value within the experience, but a fun interaction with a basketball balancing on a Miller Lite bottle,” Mr. Snyder said.

“The logo is showcased throughout the application as well,” he said. “The specific call-to-action within the application is to Become a Fan of Taste Nation, which is where many of Miller Lite pushes their current promotions.

“Driving new sign-ups on Facebook is a major focus for Miller Lite, which currently has over 260,000 fans.”

With Tip ‘n Spin, MediaMob is doing specific outreach to various channels to drive awareness, with an end-goal of increasing the number of downloads.

MediaMob worked with Digitas to produce a 15-second promotional video featuring the application that will run as a pre-roll ad on CBSsports.com during the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament. 

There will also be a 160x600 companion unit that will run in tandem, with mobile ads on the CBS mobile Web site and within its Sportacular application.

Lastly there will be Facebook and MillerLite.com call-outs.

“One of MediaMob's key differentiators in this crowded space is that with every project we develop a custom marketing and launch strategy, specifically to promote the application,” Mr. Snyder said.

“These guys—Digitas and Miller Lite—really get it,” he said. “They understand building an app on the iPhone today is only half the battle.

“There has to be a launch plan and that's something MediaMob specializes in.”