For its first mobile effort, musical instrument maker Fender is using SMS text messaging to make it easier for customers to claim a free gift after making a purchase.

Fender is working with digital marketing services provider Knotice to help it engage shoppers during the Hot Rod Amplifier Summer Tune Up promotion. By texting a call-to-action to a short code and submitting a rebate form, consumers can receive a free Fender messenger bag and guitar cord.

?By opening up the convenience and immediacy of the mobile channel as an option for redemption, an iconic brand like Fender is showing their customers they care about them,? said Dave Lawson, director of mobile engagement at Knotice, Akron, OH.

?Long-term, this has definite impact on retention as well as key brand metrics such as attitudes, favorability, intent, preference and likelihood to recommend,? he said.

Fender Musical Instruments Corp. is a leading guitar manufacturer based in Scottsdale, AZ.

Using Knotice?s on-demand software Concentri Mobile, Fender is able to connect with consumers on the go and enable them to quickly submit product rebate information via their mobile device instead of manually filling out a rebate form and sending it through the mail.

No string attached
Rebate tags with a short code are placed on qualifying Fender Hot Rod Amplifier products. After buying the product, consumers simply text the call-to-action to the short code to fill out and submit a rebate form to receive free products. 

?Across all industries, getting someone to physically mail in a form has historically been a challenge,? Mr. Lawson said. ?It is a less than ideal consumer experience but has to-date been a best option.

?For consumers with mobile devices and an interest in participating, a simple SMS interaction solves for so many convenience and immediacy factors,? he said.

There is a SMS dialogue that captures key information from customers. The seven-step process takes most people between two and three minutes to complete. 

On the back-end, the processing and fulfillment will take the same amount of time as a mail-in rebate.

Fender bender

Knotice, however, expects to be able to consolidate several steps in the future through automation and to shorten the back-end fulfillment process using some of the learnings from the effort.

?Mobile solves a number of participation barriers for a fast-growing segment of a consumer base,? Mr. Lawson said. ?It introduces convenience, immediacy and efficiency into the scenario.

?SMS is a great reach option still and also a very good way to capture information,? he said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer