Caribou Coffee runs mobile coupon campaign

By Dan Butcher

October 30, 2008

Caribou goes mobile

Caribou Coffee Company Inc. is running a mobile coupon campaign to drive traffic to its retail shops.

The second-largest company-owned gourmet coffeehouse operator, Caribou has partnered with nationwide mobile coupon and discount offer service Cellfire Inc. in its first swig of mobile. Caribou consumers can now get $1 off any large drink or a free drink with the purchase of a pound of coffee by using the Cellfire service.

"This is our first foray into mobile marketing," said Jake Miller, brand marketing manager for Caribou Coffee, Minneapolis. "We look at mobile couponing as a new way for us to drive store traffic, increase trial of our coffee and convert new guests to loyal customers.

"By offering Cellfire's database of subscribers mobile coupons, we are hopefully introducing new customers to our premium craft-roasted coffee," he said. "If we can get trial, we know there is a very good chance that customer will come back again.

"We also know that, generally speaking, the Cellfire mobile coupon subscriber is slightly younger than the average Caribou Coffee guest, so this a great way to introduce our brand to a new group of potential future brand advocates."

Caribou is based in the Twin Cities

Caribou will accept Cellfire mobile coupons in all of its 443 retail locations across 18 states in the United States.

Caribou�sells coffee to its customers via several channels, including grocery locations, online and via its coffeehouses.

The company�is a recipient of the Rainforest Alliance Corporate Green Globe Award.

When a Cellfire coupon is redeemed it is automatically deleted from the phone

Coffee-lovers can take advantage of the exclusive deals at Caribou�by subscribing to the Cellfire mobile coupon service at http://www.cellfire.com from their mobile Web browser or computer.

Once they have signed up with Cellfire, consumers can access the Cellfire service anytime, anywhere to use the mobile coupons.

Consumers show the coupon offer code on their mobile phone to the person at the register to receive the discount.

"Cellfire is able to deliver a secure, traceable coupon," Mr. Miller said. "Through Cellfire's coupon delivery method we do not have to worry about SMS forwards or coupon fraud.

"The offers can be targeted and contained," he said. "Our mobile coupons were promoted to opt-in Cellfire members and the coupons can be redeemed at all corporate-owned Caribou Coffee locations."

Consumers access the Cellfire mobile coupon service through a downloadable mobile application that resides on their mobile phone or through a mobile Web browser.

The service allows users to view and select from multiple offers across multiple merchants simultaneously.

New offers are added frequently, and consumers can access the Cellfire service at their convenience to discover and use discounts specific to their geographic area.

Coupons are displayed in an organized manner, allowing consumers to navigate through coupons by category and select the offers they want to use.

Cellfire is a free service, although standard data or usage charges may apply depending on the wireless carrier or data plan. It is available on all carriers and is now on deck with 10 of the top 12 carriers nationwide.�

Cellfire has platform-specific applications for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Java and BREW.
For those that cannot access an application, Cellfire has a mobile Web version of the service.

"One of the advantages Cellfire offers advertisers such as Caribou is that their brand is optimized for the user experience," said Dwight Moore, vice president of corporate marketing for Cellfire, San Jose, CA.

"The Caribou offers are available to users of the Cellfire service and geo-targeted to users within proximity to a Caribou location," he said.

"In addition to the offers being visible within the Cellfire service and on the Cellfire Web site, Cellfire issued a geo-targeted SMS alert about the Caribou offers to its users that had opted-in for SMS alerts and featured Caribou in its monthly savings email newsletter."

Cellfire has the ability to target offers based on the location, age and gender of its users.

"At the same time, Cellfire provides merchants such as Caribou with detailed reporting every two weeks on the demographic profile of redeemers by offer," Mr. Moore said.

"The unique shopper insight we provide merchants helps them learn more about their customers so they can make better-informed marketing decisions," he said.

Comments on "Caribou Coffee runs mobile coupon campaign"

1. D I says:

   April 9, 2009 at 2:36pm

   Anyone know how well this campaign is performing?

2. John Levett says:

   November 12, 2008 at 6:41am

   Promotional Coupons sent via Mobile Phones to Exceed 200m Users by 2013 finds Juniper Research
   
   Hampshire, UK – 12th November 2008: Coupons delivered and redeemed via mobile phones are forecast to be used by some 200 million mobile subscribers globally by 2013, according to a new study by Juniper Research.
   
   The Juniper Research report determined that the mobile coupons market is currently most advanced in Japan and Korea, but that growing numbers of mobile coupon services are being offered in the USA and Europe across all the main retail sectors including restaurants, entertainment, shopping and grocery. The developed nations of the Far East, North America and Western Europe are forecast to account for the major part of the market by 2013.
   
   Report author Howard Wilcox gave more details: "Today the overwhelming majority of coupons are paper-based, but the mobile phone is the ultimate individual marketing device and mobile coupon pilots show greatly increased redemption rates - often double digit percentages.”
   
   The Juniper report highlighted the increased benefit in user convenience and the greater efficiencies for organisations operating mobile coupon campaigns as the two key benefits for the adoption of promotional coupons on the mobile platform. However some significant hurdles were identified, including the lack of suitable point of sale (POS) infrastructure at the supermarket checkout allowing for the quick and easy redemption of coupons, which is critical to the consumer shopping experience.
   
   Nearly all mobile coupon usage today is in the Far East region. However by 2013 Western Europe and North America will together account for almost 20% of coupon redemption values. Technology is also a factor, with most mobile coupons today delivered by a code (often bar code) and SMS. In future, Near Field Communications (NFC) will become popular in this application.
   
   The Juniper Research study provides an analysis of the trends and issues affecting this market, exploring how the mobile coupons market will develop. The report provides forecasts of user take-up, coupon redemptions and values. The report also presents profiles of 6 key vendors and 12 mobile coupon trials and services pioneering in this developing market.
   
   Whitepapers and further details of the study, 'Mobile Coupons: Strategies, Applications & Markets 2008 - 2013' can be freely downloaded from www.juniperresearch.com. Alternatively please contact John Levett at john.levett@juniperresearch.com, telephone +44(0)1256 830002.
   
   Further reports in the Mobile Commerce Stream are:
   • Mobile Payment Markets: Digital and Physical Goods 2008-2013 (published in July 2008)
   • Mobile Payment Markets: Contactless NFC 2008-2013 (published in July 2008)
   • Mobile Payment Markets: Money Transfers and Remittances 2008-2013 (published in August 2008)
   • Mobile Ticketing: Transport, Sport and Entertainment and Other Events 2008-2013 (published in October 2008)
   
   Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.