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Hooters runs mobile promo in 380 locations to beef up loyalty database

Hooters of America is running a national mobile sweepstakes that is being promoted in 380 of the restaurant chain?s domestic locations.

The text-to-win promotion gives Hooters customers the chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas to meet country music star Kenny Chesney during his concert at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Hooters has partnered with Kenny Chesney?s NoShoesRadio.com to host the text-to-win promotion that consumers can enter by texting the keyword KENNY to short code 36832 April 19?June 13. 

?Our Partnership with NoShoesRadio has been amazing thus far and we are excited to provide this unique mobile text sweepstakes opportunity to our Hooters guests,? said Noela Scarano, director of marketing at Hooters, Atlanta.

?Given Kenny?s limited performance schedule this summer, this trip is a chance of a lifetime for any fan,? she said. ?In addition to the grand prize, many fans will get the chance to party with NoShoesRadio.com right in our restaurants.?

The sweepstakes is powered by Denver-based mobile marketing company State of Text.

NoShoesRadio.com launched last August and Hooters has been a sponsor of the online radio channel ever since. As part of that sponsorship, the restaurant chain got its own branded radio channel called Hooters Happy Hour Daily.

For the current text-to-win, Hooters is hosting several NoShoesRadio.com broadcast remotes in major cities across the country such as Atlanta, Baton Rouge and Nashville in support of the promotion. 

During the remotes customers get the chance to win tickets to various local festivals.

Hooters will also feature Corona, one of Kenny?s official tour sponsors, in all restaurants participating in the promotion.

?By adding the text component to the NoShoeRadio sponsorship, we gave Hooters customers a way to enter the contest instantly without using paper in a totally environmentally-friendly way,? said Cindy Setlock, director of national accounts at State of Text.

?We also could remind those customers about the ice cold Corona Beer available at Hooters in the return text,? she said.

In less than a month, KENNY to 36832 has already seen 7,500 opt-ins into the Hooters Mobile Club and that number is growing daily.

Hooters has quite some history in the mobile space.

In January, the company used mobile to help launch a national promotion aimed at further building the Hooters Mobile Club, which at the time had more than 50,000 members (see story).

In-store signage invited customers to text the keyword POOL to short code 36832 to enter to win a trip to the Hooters Super Pool Party in Miami's South Beach.

In October, Hooters? use of text-message marketing within its video-on-demand commercial spots resulted in a 32 percent increase in sales during the program (see story).

Television commercials ran with graphics at the bottom of the screen inviting viewers to learn more about the Hooters Mobile Club.

By clicking a button on the remote control, viewers were taken to a longer video where a Hooters girl demonstrates how to text the keyword WINGS to short code 36832 and receive free boneless wings by joining the Mobile Club.

?By climbing out of the old box mentality of traditional promotions, Hooters has embraced the digital age and keeps using mobile to keep in touch with all the loyal fans of Kenny Chesney and Hooters Restaurants,? said Sean McKesson, CEO of State of Text.