Fast food franchise Arby's is using mobile to complement its existing marketing strategy, reach consumers and enhance customer interaction with the brand.

Arby's tapped mobile coupon and discount service provider Cellfire Inc. to deliver values into customers' hands when they are on the go and more likely to eat out.

"If you think about quick service restaurants, they are ultimately trying to reach people who are on the go and potentially hungry," said Dwight Moore, vice president of corporate marketing at Cellfire, San Jose, CA. "It makes sense since people who are on the go are likely to eat out.

"Mobile phones are helping quick service restaurants reach people on-the-go and the coupons are great incentives to get people in-store," he said. "The redemption rates for coupons tend to be high."

Arby's is a subsidiary of Triarc Companies Inc.

The fast food franchise's quick service restaurants specialize in offering slow roasted and freshly sliced roast beef sandwiches as well as its market fresh deli-style sandwiches, toasted subs, wraps and salads with the convenience of a drive-thru.

The Cellfire-powered mobile coupons are redeemable at 250 restaurants throughout Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas-Ft.Worth, Los Angeles and Tampa-St. Petersburg.

To access mobile deals at Arby's, consumers can register at Cellfire.com or send a text message with the keyword ARBYS to 22888.

Consumers who sign up will be eligible to receive buy-one-get-one-free beef 'n cheddar sandwich coupons, discounts on Jamocha shakes and free Chicken Filet Sandwiches with purchase of medium fries and a medium drink.

The coupons are redeemable now through Aug. 30.

Consumers can access the Cellfire mobile coupon service through an easy-to-use mobile application that resides on their handset or through a mobile Web browser.

New offers are added frequently and users can access the Cellfire service at their convenience to discover and use discounts specific to their geographic area.

Coupons are displayed in an organized manner, allowing consumers to navigate through them by category and select the offers they want to use.

Arby's isn't the only big brand using Cellfire's coupon service.

Quick-lube chain Valvoline Instant Oil Change is conducting a mobile coupon campaign offering consumers the opportunity to save during this economic slowdown.

Valvoline tapped Cellfire to help make mobile coupons accepted at all 107 Valvoline Instant Oil Change centers in Cleveland, Minneapolis and St. Louis. Mobile phone users can save money with exclusive offers on oil change or preventative services (see story)

"Mobile commerce, from our point of view is continuing on a strong upward trend," Mr. Moore said. "This is evident because there are more and more merchants getting into it, from increasingly diverse business categories.

"Our technology's advantage is the fact that it is an interactive service," he said. "Brands can send out their deals in a graphic manner and we are able to control the redemption for them and provide unique shopper insight."