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Hennessy beefs up mobile database via online widget, in-venue

Cognac maker Hennessy integrated various mobile initiatives into its Hennessey Artistry music campaign to engage consumers and build a loyal community of fans.

The mobile component was a multi-tiered plan developed by one50one, a mobile partner of Hennessy?s agency of record Alloy. There was an online and mobile widget and a separate in-venue SMS strategy and execution during each concert, which allowed consumers to upgrade to VIP status within the venue, win exclusive signed prizes from music artists, as well as exclusive back stage meet and greets with artists.

?We were very pleased with the Hennessy Artistry experience as a whole and even more so with the way we were able to use and engage consumers via their mobile devices,? said Billy Paretti, vice president of experiential marketing at Moet Hennessy, New York. ?We not only used mobile to engage our consumers pre-event but also activated contests and rewarded consumers during the actual shows.

 ?Insights have shown that our consumers over-index with mobile usage overall, thus engaging them with mobile technology using real live content from the Artistry shows, as well as offering one of a kind prizes signed by several of the tour?s featured artists was a way for Hennessy to give back to our consumers, and to thank them for their support and affinity of the Hennessy brand overall,? he said.

Hennessy Artistry is a famed global music campaign to promote the art of mixing various genres and blending the talents of the world?s top artists. Every trademark Hennessy Artistry event is an evening of pure unification mixing sound, visual innovation and drinking experiences from around the world.

Each event features some of the most cutting-edge and formidable names in music today.

The SMS in-venue opt-in was 15 percent of total venue attendance for the tour.

All mobile club members were able to select which city-specific SMS messages they wanted to receive at the time of opt-in.  This allowed consumers to receive market specific information, invites and RSVP opportunities to the schedule of Hennessy-branded events that took place in each market for the two weeks leading up to each Artistry concert.

There were multiple modes of opting-in.

One was the SMS mobile call to action (text HENNESSEY to 56102), which was highlighted in print ads, point of sale collateral, a major social media blogging effort, as well as opting-in via the online widget which was placed on all the partner radio station Web sites in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston and New York.

The widget also had viral share functionality, which allowed it to be shared, posted, and embedded across a myriad of social media sites, including MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo, Google, Bebo, Friendster and etcetera.

The online banner for the campaign had more than 1.1 million clicks that resulted in downloads, mobile club opt-ins and embeds, in less than 8 weeks. The ad had more than 3.5 million impressions as a separate rich media banner ad unit.

?Ultimately, the mobile strategy was to engage consumers with compelling content from Artistry that they could review, pass along and post,? said Troy Brown, president of one50one, Boston. ?We were also looking to build a mobile community of loyal Hennessy fans that we may communicate with well into the future. 

?One50one, together with Hennessy and their agency partners, developed an overall plan that tied together mobile, online, digital content distribution and social media in a very engaging way,? he said. ?A multi-dimensional Hennessy Artistry branded widget was built to promote a sweepstakes opportunity to attend the tour?s exclusive finale experience in NYC.?

The rich media widget included age verification, CRM database acquisition, click to call, send (content) to phone functionality, and was used as a rich media banner ad in the tour?s online media buying efforts.

Finally the widget served as a central portal to the new exclusive content that was released weekly throughout the eight week campaign.

Consumers could view, and download exclusive backstage and concert footage of historic collaboration performances by The Roots, Common, Boyz II Men, Big Daddy Kane and Q-tip directly to their mobile phones.

The target was all Hennessy consumers, as a gesture of Hennessy's sincere appreciation of their loyalty to the brand.

?The mobile campaign was core to the luxury brand?s desire to highlight and communicate its stronghold on the art of blending music, art, fashion, and event experiences; all while Hennessy served as the hero to the experience (via new drinks such as Hennessy and Berry, Hennessy Mojito, Hennessy Citrus),? Mr. Brown said.

Watch this video for a better understanding of Hennessy Artistry:

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