Sandwich chain Schlotzsky's is prompting customers to purchase its 32-ounce birthday-themed cup and input a 10-digit sweepstakes code into its mobile loyalty application for a chance to win $1,000 each day, with additional smaller prizes available for those who share their entries on Facebook.

The fast-casual chain is ringing in its forty-fifth birthday by rolling out a commemorative 32-ounce cup, which features a unique 10-digit sweepstakes code that can be entered into its Lotz4Me rewards app. Schlotzsky?s will likely experience a surge in loyalty membership signups following the sweepstakes kickoff, as well as higher mobile engagement overall, thanks to its complementary Facebook and Snapchat activations.

?Our goal is to drive new downloads and users for our Lotz4Me rewards program through our Blowin? Out Birthday promotion, as well as engage current users,? said Megan Greene, director of marketing at Schlotzsky?s. ?New users who download the app to enter Schlotzsky?s Blowin? Out Birthday will receive a free small The Original sandwich just for signing up, in addition to their chance to win a prize through a qualifying entry.?

Blowing out the candles
Schlotzsky?s is celebrating its forty-fifth birthday by giving fans a daily opportunity to win $1,000 during the 45-day promotional window leading up to its official birthday on October 4. Customers who buy the restaurant marketer?s 32-ounce cup and enter their sweepstakes code into the Lotz4Me app will be entered to win.

Once individuals locate the code on the commemorative cup, they may download or log into the Lotz4Me mobile app and enter the 10-digit number, which will ignite the Schlotzsky?s birthday candle resting atop an image of its The Original sandwich.

Users can extinguish the digital candle by blowing into their smartphone?s speaker, an action that will enable them to win a chance to receive the $1,000 daily cash prize.

Schlotzsky?s is differentiating itself from its competitors in this respect, as many restaurant brands? sweepstakes typically include a non-interactive entry, such as a scratch-off or simple code entry.

For instance, Domino?s recently altered pricing for a carryout special after customers voiced frustrations over its limited availability and rectified the situation with a mobile-optimized sweepstakes featuring a bevy of branded prizes for consumers who paid higher prices for weekend orders (see story).

However, by prompting consumers to complete a physical action with their mobile devices, Schlotzsky?s is well-poised to stand out and inspire more people to participate.

?There are many rewards apps out there, but we want to leverage our forty-fifth birthday promotion as a means to differentiate our app from others,? Ms. Greene said. ?We have a fantastic ongoing rewards program offering users $7 off (typically equivalent to the cost of an entrée) after earning seven qualifying visits, but we also want to offer users rewards beyond the generic program by surprising and delighting our fans and showing our appreciation for their loyalty.

?Engagement is key,? she said. ?We considered a traditional sweepstakes, but preferred to offer our fans an experience: a fun, festive way to enter and share in honor of our birthday.?

Consumers can also bolster their chances for winning by sharing their entry on Facebook, which could net them a $45 egift card or a branded t-shirt.

Additionally, Schlotzsky?s is inspiring more app downloads and loyalty signups by gifting each new member with a complimentary small The Original sandwich during the 45-day promotional time period, which runs from August 19 to October 4.

The Lotz4Me mobile rewards program enables members to receive $7 off a purchase after their seventh visit. Members can also view menus, find local Schlotzsky?s restaurants, opt in to receive push notifications and earn bonuses for referring friends via Facebook.

Raising the mobile engagement stakes
The fast-casual chain is complementing its mobile app and Facebook initiatives with the rollout of its first Snapchat filter, which is slated to go live at all of its restaurants on October 4.

Consumers will have even more incentive to visit a Schlotzsky?s location that day, given that the brand is planning to reduce prices for its small The Original sandwich to $1.99.

The brand?s sweepstakes is building onto its previous mobile-first iterations, which also contained a rewards angle.

Last year, Schlotzsky?s introduced value-focused menu options in its Lotz Better campaign and rewarded its mobile app users that gave the items a try (see story).

?We are fortunate to have incredibly loyal fans who, no doubt, are the reason we are celebrating this milestone birthday,? Ms. Greene said. ?The greatest advantage of our rewards program is having the opportunity to communicate as a brand with those guests and engage them outside our restaurants.

?Schlotzsky?s Blowin? Out Birthday is another opportunity to do that and we anticipate a lot of excitement.?