Dunkin? Donuts is solidifying its position in mobile with a new campaign that drives engagement through Instagram and Twitter, as well as educates consumers about the company?s new mobile payments application.

The coffee giant has turned to mobile and social to help bolster its Halloween efforts and get consumers in the spirit. As part of the campaign, Dunkin? Donuts has rolled out new Halloween-themed mobile cards.

?With our lineup of delicious Halloween treats and our famous coffee, Dunkin? Donuts is recognized as the popular destination to keep running through the holiday, whether you?re hosting a party or just hurrying through a busy day,? said Scott Hudler, vice president of global consumer engagement at Dunkin? Donuts.

"We wanted to capture the same spirit of the season that people enjoy in our restaurants to our digital channels as well," he said. "As we continue to drive awareness for our first mobile payment and gifting app, we're offering fans limited edition Mobile Dunkin? Donuts cards that feature several unique Halloween themed designs. 

"We?re an exciting brand, and we think our guests who expect a little fun from us will really appreciate and enjoy the new Halloween designs as a way to celebrate the season. As Dunkin? Donuts is the only national coffee retailer to enable people to send virtual gift cards via text, email and Facebook Connect, we hope the special designs will encourage people to spread the Halloween spirit to friends and family by sending a Dunkin? mGift."

Dunkin' Donuts has more than 10,000 restaurants in 32 countries worldwide.

Amplified engagement
In August, Dunkin? Donuts entered the mobile payments arena with an iPhone and Android app that lets consumers pay for beverages, food and merchandise at the point-of-sale.

Additionally, through the app, there is an mGift feature that lets consumers send virtual gift cards via SMS, email and Facebook Connect.

For Halloween, Dunkin? Donuts is letting consumers purchase a mobile gift card in several new seasonal designs, including cartoon images of jack-o-lanterns lit by Dunkin' Donuts coffee, zombies rising from the ground with coffee in hand and vampires encouraging all to "stay calm and drink coffee." 

Moreover, the coffee giant is encouraging consumers to participate in the Halloween festivities by dressing up their cup for a chance to win a $100 Dunkin' Donuts Card.

Through the #DresseDD Twitter and Instagram contest, fans are encouraged to tweet @DunkinDonuts on Twitter or Instagram photos of their Dunkin' Donuts cups cloaked in a creative Halloween costume, using the special hashtag #DresseDD.

On Halloween day, the company will share the photos of five winners selected for their creativity and Halloween spirit.

"As our fan base continues to grow, we?re investing more in our digital efforts in ways that put our fans first, such as contests and promotions on our social media channels," Mr. Hudler said. "We have highly engaged, creative fans on both Twitter and Instagram, so we designed the #dresseDD promotion to celebrate the Halloween spirit with Dunkin' Donuts. 

"Our fans regularly submit us photos of doodles on their coffee cups, so we felt this contest tied in perfectly with their loyalty and passion," he said. "It also allows us to remind our fans that we have an exciting variety of Halloween themed menu items to keep them running. 

"As our follower count grows, we think it?s important to continuously surprise and delight our fans with unique contests and content to keep the level of fan engagement high."

Mobile interaction
An initiative such as this is a smart move for Dunkin? Donuts.

For one, consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile devices for day-to-day things. By offering an incentive ? in this case a $100 gift card ? Dunkin? Donuts is able to engage users on a device that is personal to them, as well as offer them an interactive and creative experience.

In addition, leveraging Twitter and Instagram, Dunkin? Donuts is key. Mobile and social complement each other.

By using channels that are interactive and engaging, Dunkin? Donuts is taking its campaign to another level.

"Mobile and location-based promotions will continue to be an important part of our overall marketing efforts in the future," Mr. Hudler said. 

"Part of why these programs are particularly important to our brand is that our busy guests are always on the go, so we know that they are increasingly reliant on their mobile devices to keep them running," he said.

Final Take