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Hidden Valley delivers snackable dinner inspiration via RMM

Consumer packaged goods brand Hidden Valley has a new mobile marketing campaign aimed towards busy moms and hectic dinner patterns that delivers weekly recipes and kid-friendly activities via rich media messaging on smartphones.

To help moms make ?crunch time,? the period between school and bedtime, more seamless, Hidden Valley?s ?Twist on Tonight? solution allows rich content such as long text, video and images, to be delivered to mobile devices. To participate, consumers opt-in by texting RANCH to 40679.

?Today?s consumer has their phone within reach 24 hours a day and 90 percent of text messages are read within the first 3 minutes,? said Cezar Kolodziej, CEO, president and co-founder of Iris Mobile, Chicago

?Mobile messaging is the most direct, personal way to reach consumers. Brands have an opportunity to leverage this natural consumer behavior via mobile to get their customers to act. SMS is a great technology to get direct response, but Rich Media Messaging is going one step further by sending more engaging content, like images and video, to get double the response rates of SMS,? he said.

The campaign is being powered by Iris Mobile.

Creating stability
The most hectic time of day for the majority of moms (55 percent) is between 5 and 7 p.m., according to a recent KRC Research survey. Also known as crunch time, it's a juggling act of figuring out what is for dinner, fighting grocery store crowds, helping with homework, cooking, cleaning and getting kids to bed - all while summoning the energy and inspiration for quality family time.

As a modern solution for busy families, Hidden Valley is offering a mobile program where consumers can sign up to receive weekly recipes and kid-friendly activities created by moms, including country music star, Sara Evans.

One "Twist on Tonight" mobile tip helps mom host a no-fuss Mexican night at home, complete with a simple recipe and instructions for kids to make DIY maracas.

Digital and content publishing
The efficacy of mobile in promoting consumer acquisition and cultivating loyalty via mobile is evident in targeted programs and short-term campaigns.

Individuals seek out media and content to meet the need for immediate utility and inspiration. Consumers interact with content looking for task facilitation and emotional gratification, so a brand?s content strategy should address these requirements which will engage loyalty building.

Mobile CRM is most effective at inspiring consumers who are frequent users with a high purchase rate and strong brand loyalty who are in need of on-the-go solutions or services.

Kraft Foods, for example, has been a pioneer in the online and content publishing space, offering branded content through its CRM program.

The release of its iPhone Assistant app last spring aimed to drive consumer behavior by linking a native app to a library of over 7,000 recipes. Once a user opens the ?virtual store? on the app, they are presented with the recipe of the day and all ingredients necessary for preparation.

Not only does the Kraft app find and associate coupons to ingredients, but it also uses Artifical Intelligence to predict a user?s family size based the recipes downloaded. It will navigate meal makers to the nearest grocery store that has the recipe materials and make recipe suggestions with the leftovers from prior recipes used.

Kraft and Hidden Valley, though competitors in the ranch dressing category, both seek to understand consumer consumption behaviors and potentially nudge consumers to modify their meal prep behavior.

Mobile engagement allows a brand to interact with an individual in an environment when they are ready to buy. Friendly reminders and solutions sent to handhelds allow a brand to learn about the consumer at a granular level from learning shopping and usage behavior, and not by necessarily asking outright.

?Since brand initiated messages are permission-based, brands are able to continue the conversation with consumers, providing relevant and personalized value long after the initial touch point,? Mr. Kolodziej said.

?With messaging, offers or notices can be kept on the device and are always at hand, whereas a paper coupon or email may not be as accessible. Mobile messaging is the most intimate channel for brands to reach customers, and the most accepted form of mobile communication, making it vastly different from traditional forms of marketing.?

Final Take:
Michelle is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York