Coors Light has teamed up with sporting goods brand K2 Sports on a campaign that aims to get consumers excited about a new line of skis and snowboards via SMS.

In addition to a text-to-win promotion, Coors Light is also using its Facebook page for the sweepstakes. Coors Light has made both SMS and social a staple of its digital marketing efforts in the past few years.

?We?ve found that our consumers, especially 21- to 27-year-old guys, respond well to text messaging programs because they?re accustomed to it and it?s easy for them to participate,? said Rebecca Dye, marketing manager at Coors Light, Chicago.

?Plus, the logistics are fairly simple to manage on our end,? she said.

?In everything we do as a marketer, our objective is to make where and how we communicate with beer-drinkers as simple and relevant for them to engage as possible. The 21- to 27-year-old consumer ? who is our primary focus ? lives on social media and expects to be able to do almost everything via mobile.?

Mobile chill
The campaign is being used to promote the beer giant?s partnership with K2 Sports on a line of skis and snowboards that change color when cold.

The text-to-win sweepstakes are being rolled out in the United States in multiple regional and store-specific markets. Consumers can find specific keywords on in-store point-of-sale marketing to participate.

SMS is a marketer?s workhorse when it comes to mobile. In this case, Coors Light?s SMS campaign could be particularly effective with calls-to-action at the point-of-sale when brand affinity is high.

Additionally, Coors Light is running the sweepstakes on its Facebook page.

The campaign is running through April 30.

Users who participate in either the SMS or Facebook campaign can win a variety of prizes, including a trip to the Silver Skis Lodge in Crystal Mountain, WA. Additionally, consumers can win branded prizes such as koozies or backpacks.

Digital marketing ? including a Web series that features K2 athletes ? and point-of-sale marketing support the campaign.

The Web series on Coors Light's YouTube page

Drink on mobile
Mobile has played a big role in Coors Light?s marketing in the past.

In many cases, campaigns hone in one specific demographic, especially with sports.

For example, to target football fans, Coors Light recently ran an advertising campaign on ESPN?s mobile site to build up its social media presence (see story).

Additionally, last year the company rolled out a campaign that incorporated mobile Web, SMS and an Android application to connect with Hispanic soccer fans (see story).

By testing a variety of mobile channels, Coors Light has a better chance of connecting with plugged-in consumers on their handsets.

?Mobile will become an increasingly valuable marketing tool in the years ahead, as more and more consumers embrace the platform and come to expect marketers to connect with them via mobile,? Ms. Dye said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York