Quick service chain Church?s Chicken is following up the launch of its first mobile application earlier this year with an app-focused promotion in partnership with Coca-Cola. 

The giveaway asks consumers to purchase a 22- or 30-ounce beverage at participating Church?s Chicken locations through July 26 and look for the peel-off sticker featuring a promotional code. Customers can use the QSR?s mobile application to enter the code for a chance to win a variety of rewards, included gift cards, free food and the grand prize of a Ford Explorer.

?Church's Chicken has proudly partnered with The Coca-Cola Company over the years, so it was natural for us to align efforts for this summer's Coca-Cola and Church?s Ultimate Cup Holder Giveaway,? said Mark Snyder, global chief marketing officer at Church's Chicken, Atlanta. ?The Coca-Cola brand is synonymous with fun and connecting with people, which is what makes them a great fit for this promotion.

?They are an established brand, and they have consistently shared programs that our fans enjoy.?

Tapping cross-partnerships
Cross-partnerships are inherently valuable for quick service marketers, as they enable the brand to tap into two audiences at the same time. This campaign also serves as an excellent way of ramping up customer awareness for Church?s recently-released mobile app.

Guests will be directed to open the app and enter the code arriving with each beverage purchase. If the user receives a food prize, Church?s will automatically credit his or her account so that he or she may redeem the free food voucher at any participating restaurant.

Customers who prefer to enter their codes online may do so at www.churchsgiveaway.com, where they will instantly discover whether they won a prize. Food-related wins will result in the brand emailing the guest a coupon within 24 to 48 hours.

Church?s Chicken hopes the inclusion of smaller prizes in addition to the grand prize of a vehicle will fuel more consumers to participate in the campaign and engage with the mobile app.

?More and more people are living their lives on their mobile devices,? Mr. Snyder said. ?Earlier this year, we launched our first mobile app to increase engagement with our guests and to accommodate to the pace of their lives.

?We are not only able to send out messaging to our fans, but we can receive feedback and tailor our programs to their needs,? he said. ?We've created this social ecosystem to truly stay connected with our guests via the mobile app, as well as our social media pages and website.

?Church's Chicken has a history of being a neighborhood brand that is connected with the people and communities we serve. Mobile technology allows us to take our relationships even further.?

Boost of support
The added boost of support from Coca-Cola, another marketer with a strong mobile strategy, can only aid Church?s Chicken?s summer promotion.

However, Coca-Cola is not offering any branded products as prizes. This strategy would likely boost future campaigns, especially if consumers could receive extra points for the My Coke Rewards loyalty platform to redeem for additional items.

Church?s Chicken?s mobile app engagement will no doubt increase following this promotion, proving that quick service chains must occasionally offer customers incentives to further mobile engagement.

?Today's technology allows us to communicate and access information at a much faster pace,? Mr. Snyder said. ?By leveraging our mobile app for this promotion, guests may learn of their winnings instantly and also receive their prizes, in the case of free food, directly to their apps.

?They may even redeem the food prizes from the app,? he said. ?We've significantly cut down wait times, and guests have access to what they need right in the palms of their hands.

?We're continually looking at ways to increase engagement with our guests, and our mobile app is a great tool to accomplish this.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York