MillerCoors-owned Miller Lite is inspiring the loyalty of beer drinkers by offering them Taste Points for checking-in via foursquare and submitting the points via SMS or the mobile Web for the chance to win prizes.

The Taste Points program lets consumers of legal drinking age collect points found on specially-marked packages of Miller Lite and by checking-in on foursquare at participating bars and restaurants. Consumers can collect Taste Points, team up with friends and use them to enter for the chance to win daily and weekly rewards, or one of three grand prizes, including an around-the-world journey.

?We know our consumers are constantly on their smartphones using mobile Web, text messaging and Facebook, so it made sense for the Taste Points program to incorporate these tools and technologies,? said Mike Davitt, Chicago-based marketing manager for Miller Lite at MillerCoors, Chicago. ?By allowing legal-drinking-age consumers to enter official on-pack codes through text messaging, and through our mobile compatible TastePoints.com site, our participants can conveniently access their Taste Points.

?We?re also capitalizing on the popular trend of social shopping such as Groupon by driving the program via social networking and asking consumers to enter for weekly and epic prizes in groups,? he said.

?Lastly, by leveraging Facebook, participants can share information about the program and prizing with their network of friends, helping drive engagement and further awareness.?

The Taste Points program is targeted at core Miller Lite drinkers, 21- to 35-year-old men.

There are a number of agencies working together on Miller Lite?s Taste Points initiative, including Dig Communications, DraftFCB, Digitas, Integer, Schupp, MC Media, Ignition Network, CommonGround, MarketVision and Team Enterprise.

Late last year, Hipcricket signed a 3-year contract to develop and execute all mobile marketing efforts in conjunction with MillerCoors? agency and development partners.

Man up to mobile marketing
To support the Taste Points program, the beer brand has launched new television commercials featuring the Miller Liteguards, women tasked with encouraging men to drink Miller Lite.

The TV spots, which run through July, direct viewers to http://TastePoints.com on a PC or mobile device to register to win prizes.

The multichannel marketing initiative also includes print, radio, out-of-home and digital advertising, retail point-of-sale and public relations, including appearances by the Miller Liteguards at special events in bars and restaurants nationwide.

A POS display from Miller Lite

The Miller Lite Taste Points program is designed to reward consumer loyalty in a multifaceted way, using unique codes on specially marked packages of Miller Lite along with social-media platforms such as Facebook and foursquare.

The Miller Lite Taste Points program requires consumers to be members of Facebook in order to participate, and to invite Facebook friends to enter with them for the weekly and epic prizes that are awarded to four- or eight-person groups.

Once the required number of friends joins, the group is entered for a chance to win.

Consumers can create an unlimited number of groups to enter as many times as they like.

Participants in the program can see how many people or groups have entered to win each prize.

The Taste Points function acts like credits for redemption for entries to win prizes.

Consumers can collect Taste Points by submitting official codes online, via SMS or on the Taste Points mobile Web site. Codes are provided on specially-marked packages of Miller Lite.

A specially-marked package of Miller Lite

Additionally, consumers who have not already entered the maximum number of codes in a day automatically receive Taste Points when checking in on foursquare at participating bars and restaurants.

There is no limit to the number of prizes consumers may enter to win, or the number of times they can win.

The Miller Lite Taste Points program will award three grand prizes: a trip around the world, an island-hopping adventure in the British Virgin Islands and a trip to the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Charlotte, NC, featuring Miller Lite driver Brad Keselowski ? held the same day ? with a private jet to help the winners get from one race to the next .

Weekly prizes include a trip to a Gold Cup soccer tournament match and a VIP golf experience at Pebble Beach.

There will be daily prizes such as mini-grills and backpack coolers. There are also local prizes available in various areas based on ZIP code.

Official codes that are on Miller Lite packaging can be texted into the program short code 80153 to collect Taste Points.

Codes or keywords are also distributed through glass sleeves, stadium cups and coasters at participating locations.

Finally, there are codes or keywords throughout digital advertising to introduce consumers to the program and allow them to collect Taste Points.

The Taste Points loyalty initiative begins May 1 and ends July 31. Taste Points will expire at the end of the program.

?We?re always looking to engage beer drinkers in the places and spaces where they are already interacting,? Mr. Davitt said. ?By utilizing mobile and social media as part of our summer Taste Points program, we are increasing the opportunities to engage with them and reward them for the things they are already doing, such as drinking Miller Lite at their favorite bars.

?Also, by allowing participants to bank Taste Points via SMS, mobile Web and foursquare, we are making it much more convenient to participate, regardless of location,? he said.

Final Take
Miller Liteguards