SNAPeMobile tests mobile games at event, sees 93 percent opt-in

By Chris Harnick

October 29, 2009

Secret messages

At thinkLA.org’s AdJam event, SNAPeMobile sent the 1,000 or so attendees a mobile game call-to-action for a chance to win several prizes including a car, and 928 ad-industry insiders opted-in.

The attendees were told to text the keyword SNAP to short code 75309 for a chance to win various prizes. Opted-in attendees received a link that contained a game piece – an image with a hidden message inside – and instructions on how to decode the message.

“Showcasing a game is best suited when allowing some to actually play it, real time, as opposed to explaining via email or on the phone,” said Heather Blair, national director of sales at SNAPeMedia, Duluth, GA. “As mobile is so relevant right now, and SMS and coupons are becoming more mainstream with brands, a mobile game is next on the radar.

“We wanted to show Los Angeles agencies, brands and media partners just how fun, exciting and rewarding this kind of game play is by allowing them to play as a consumer would in a practical campaign,” she said.

SNAPeMobile, a division of SNAPeMedia, is a mobile games and promotions provider.

Signage at AdJam

To get attendees’ attention, SNAPeMobile placed signage in front of the grand prize, a Tesla car. The car was placed at the valet parking area so it would get the maximum exposure.

Signage was also placed inside the House of Blues in two areas and throughout the evening, announcements were made reminding attendees about door prizes and the mobile game.

Ms. Blair said that SNAPeMobile had to consider the fact that not everyone has a data plan on their mobile device, because those who did not could see the game piece.

“For this event, we knew we could call the winners and let them know they actually won something,” Ms. Blair said. “For a brand marketer, they can include a code beneath the link that instructs them to take their phone to the desired location where the code explains the prize.

“The AdJam was a good venue for SNAPeMobile to show this promotional game for a couple of reasons,” she said. “One, the high attendance of agencies and brand affiliates; two, a fun atmosphere of this event is perfect for a mobile game; and three, attendees knew how to use their mobile device for this kind of game.”

Attendees were then given a handheld decoder that Ms. Blair said looked like a spy glass. The red film on the decoder is what makes the game piece image decipherable.

Ms. Blair said that once the attendees texted in the key word, a return SMS immediately appeared on their mobile device which said, “UR a winner, click here for your game piece.” Once they clicked on that link the game piece image appeared.

Ms. Blair said that the Tesla car was an insured prize cosponsored by SCA Promotions and it was not awarded to any attendee because of the high odds – 1 in 2 million.

Attendees who did not win a door prize got a message that said “exclusive offer” and it allowed them to get a discount if they wanted to use SNAPeMobile’s game-promotion service.

Ms. Blair said that retailers who use prior marketing databases can drive consumers to a retail location.

For example, if Kawasaki used a mobile game with prior marketing lists they could drive consumers and their mobile devices to stores and place decoders at the sales desk and give handheld ones to sales people for consume engagement.
 
“Mobile games use the age-old ‘element of surprise and the chance to win’ to get consumers to take action,” Ms. Blair said. “Like in the print world where marketers got creative and started adding ‘touchy-feelies’ to their print pieces to illicit an action (take the sticker off, peel the label back, decode a hidden image, etcetera) this mobile game is compelling and exciting and drives a consumer to take an action, or most importantly drive them to the desired location.”
 

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