7-Eleven has placed a mobile call-to-action on its Slurpee cups to get consumers to download its latest application and get exclusive coupons and offers.

The call-to-action is a great way for the company to drive app downloads. 7-Eleven has been expanding its mobile portfolio to reach consumers no matter where they are.

"I like the 7-Eleven mobile ad campaign although I think they should use the word 'official' in the text message to reassure consumers that this is an official campaign and app since many consumers receive spam text messages," said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York.

Mr. Buckingham is not affiliated with 7-Eleven. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

7-Eleven declined to comment.

Mobile promotion
The product call-to-action encourages consumers to text the keyword FLAVOR to the short code 711711.

When consumers opt-in, they receive a message back with a link to download the app via either Apple?s Apple Store or Google Play.

Additionally, users can reply with the keyword Y to receive up-to-date alerts from the company.

7-Eleven promises that there will only be up to eight messages per month.

This particular initiative is a great way for the company to drive brand awareness and build a one-on-one relationship between the company and its new and existing customers.

Mobile evolution
7-Eleven has been revving up its mobile-first strategy for years.

Last year, 7-Eleven continued to incorporate mobile into its day-to-day initiatives with two marketing campaigns that promoted the company?s Slurpee beverages and encouraged consumers to visit its locations to be rewarded (see story).

Then, the convenience store chain leveraged its SMS database to drive consumers in-store with a time-sensitive campaign (see story).

Most recently, 7-Eleven put its mobile application at the center of a summer-themed promotion, providing users an opportunity to access exclusive coupons and offers (see story).

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York