Brief:

• 7-Eleven is running a contest that gives members of its loyalty program a chance to win points by obtaining a bar code from the 7-Eleven chatbot on Facebook Messenger and by scanning the convenience-store chain's mobile app at stores' checkout counters. Seven people will each win one million rewards points in the sweepstake's weekly drawings that run though April 28, according to a press release by the company.
• Coca-Cola, Monster, Pandora, PepsiCo, Perrier and Reese's are sponsoring the weekly prizes that include trips to sporting events and racing weekends around the country, live music converts and a trip for two to Paris. Winning one million points will give these winners unofficial "pointillionare" status and greater spending power at 7-Eleven stores.
• A 7Rewards member can scan the app to enter up to six times a day during the sweepstakes. The entry period restarts each week, while purchasing a featured product earns people an extra entry.The 7-Eleven mobile app is available for free in Google Play or Apple's App Store.

Insight:

The sweepstakes highlights a move to get more customers in 7-Eleven stores and showcases its first use of a chatbot on Facebook Messenger, pointing to its efforts to embrace mobile technology that consumers use daily. As chatbots gain adoption, more marketers are exploring tactics leveraging the communication tool as a way to engage younger consumers who spend a lot of their time on messaging apps. These efforts are in the experimental stage and aren't a priority for many brands at this point. Transactions and coupons are one area of focus. The 7-Eleven effort shows how chatbots can also be used for sweepstakes and to support a loyalty program. 

The convenience store chain has grown its rewards program 33% to 12 million members since November 2017, when it expanded the range of products that were eligible to earn loyalty points. In the past year, 7-Eleven has ramped up its marketing efforts to lure more shoppers to stores as delivery services like Postmates and goPuff continue to grab consumers' snack dollars. 

Customers of 7-Eleven can sign up for the program however they choose, on its mobile website, 7Rewards.com, or by using a physical loyalty card in stores. The company says that winning one million points in its sweepstakes is equivalent to being awarded 1,250 medium Slurpee drinks, 833 Big Bite hot dogs or 500 Melt sandwiches — a promotion that will likely spark some customer participation and ensure the winners continuously return to shop at 7-Eleven.

The expansion of the loyalty program means than 7-Eleven members earn reward points for approximately 80% of products sold in store. The original rewards program gave people a free hot beverage after buying six drinks, which was later broadened to include cold drinks. That beverage offer remains in the expanded 7Rewards program. The in-app menu remembers customers' most common purchases to make mobile ordering and shopping in stores easier. The app also helps to drive in-store sales with digital coupons that are automatically applied during checkout. Customers can also pay via Apple Pay or Google Pay to speed checkouts, another move to integrate technologies to reduce friction on customers.