Cupcake Vineyards, a maker of wines, is attempting to ramp up awareness of the importance of nutritious foods for children in America by teaming up with the No Kid Hungry organization to roll out geo-targeted posts on social media channels.

The brand, which is known for its Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, will also be donating $1 for each consumer that visits a dedicated site for No Kid Hungry?s mission via a mobile device. The partnership proves that brands can leverage cross-partnerships with organizations and causes to raise awareness for mobile users.

?A recent Gallup poll showed wine is the drink of choice for only 31 percent of the current population,? said Adam Meshekow, executive vice president of product strategy and national sales, SITO Mobile, Jersey City, NJ. ?The goal should be to influence wine drinkers to buy Cupcake wines over other brands due to the philanthropic nature of the campaign.

?Using location data, such as geo-retargeting past visitors to vineyards and wine stores, and speaking to current consumers in wine stores using geo-fencing could give you a large audience of avid wine enthusiasts. This would allow you to reach the affluent audience who are much more likely to purchase in the category.?

Mobile angle
It is imperative for organizations seeking to raise awareness for their cause to leverage mobile strategy, as many consumers, especially millennials, prefer to browse and consume content from their smartphones and tablets.

As Cupcake Vineyards has pledged to pay $1 for each mobile visit to No Kid Hungry?s microsite, the companies can expect to see higher site traffic as well as more funds collected for the organization, which aims to cease childhood hunger by ensuring that children begin their day with nutritious breakfasts. No Kid Hungry also seeks to educate parents and families about how to cook and shop on a budget.

Cupcake Vineyards will place marketing materials in restaurants to prompt customers and employees to whip out their mobile devices and visit www.cupcake.nokidhungry.org. Users will then be asked to input the name of the restaurant that they are dining in, along with their state of residence.

The wine brand will donate $1 per each mobile visit, up to a total of $75,000. Although consumers must be over 21 years of age to enter the site, no alcohol purchases are necessary.

?For all wine, beer, and spirits mobile is crucial to reaching the younger audience,? Mr.  Meshekow said. ?When I say younger, I mean people ages 21-35.

?This is the group with the most alcohol purchasing power, and more importantly, consumes more than 50 percent of their content on a mobile device.?

Social component
The Share Our Strength campaign will also be cross-posted on Cupcake Vineyards? social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The posts will be geo-targeted, so that consumers will be driven to nearby restaurants supporting the marketing collateral for the campaign.

This cross-partnership showcases a great example of a food and beverage marketer and a charitable organization teaming up to raise awareness of both respective brands.

Leveraging mobile-optimized campaigns is also imperative for those in the food and beverage sector. Jam and pie fillings brand E.D. Smith also tapped a mobile site and social media to augment consumer awareness of its brand and spur customers to sign up for its newsletter (see story).

Another option for Cupcake Vineyards to potentially explore for future campaigns would be to include a QR code to the organization?s site that consumers could scan with their mobile devices for an even quicker way to visit.

?Philanthropy is a great way for a brand to add an emotional layer to a campaign,? Mr. Meshekow said. ?If a consumer is buying a similar wine, but someone else can benefit from buying Cupcake, it will make people feel they are at least contributing to the greater good while still getting the quality product they were seeking.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York