Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop is using a mobile site to get the word out about its popular RRRoll Up The Rim contest.

The contest awards more than $58 million in prizes to loyal coffee drinkers. The company is also using mobile this year to offer users another channel to participate.

Tim Hortons claims to be one of the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization.

?The RRRoll Up RouletteTM online game was inspired by our classic RRRoll Up The Rim game that has been played in our restaurants for over 25 years, in which guests literally roll-up the rim of their coffee cups for a chance to win a number of prizes that range from a food prize all the way to a new car,? said Glenn Hollis, vice president brand marketing and advertising at Tim Hortons.

?The online contest is something we have offered over the past several years as way to provide our guests with additional ways to win,? he said. ?This year, we wanted to make it easier to play online and therefore introduced the mobile component.

?The mobile component is simply an extension of the online game, in that it provides guests who are on the go the ability to use their mobile device to spin the roulette wheel for a chance to win great daily and weekly prizes, receive points and a chance to become eligible for an extra day of play.?

Mobile contest
Consumers who buy a medium, large or extra-large hot beverage have the opportunity to instantly win prizes including 40 new cars, 100 Panasonic 3D TV packages, 1000 Coleman camping packages, 5000 Panasonic digital cameras and 25,000 $100 Tim Cards.

Consumers can access the mobile site by entering m.rolluptherimtowin.com into their mobile browser.

Users can spin for a chance to win daily and weekly prizes.

Additionally, consumers can receive points and earn badges and post them online.

To play, users can sign in if it is their first time playing or register for an account.

Consumers can only play once per day.

Getting the word out
Tim Hortons is promoting the RRRoll Up Roulette online game in all of its U.S. restaurants, the company?s Web site and through online advertising.

In addition, the company is reaching out to its Facebook fans and Twitter followers. 

The viral component to the online game also lets users share their earned points and badging on their Facebook wall and Twitter feed.

?Mobile is a key pillar within the company's overall digital strategy,? Mr. Hollis said. ?We know that the penetration of smartphones is growing exponentially and they are becoming an integral way for people to communicate and absorb information.

As a company it is important for us to understand this and leverage it to help guests engage with the brand in ways that make sense to them,? he said.

?In late 2011, we launched a mobile site for our main Web site timhortons.com and increased the functionality our TimmyME store locator app to enable guests to more easily gain access to information such as nutritional info and their Tim Card balance. This app in now available for iPhone, Blackberry and Android.?

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York