Brief:

• Dunkin' is promoting this month's "Free Donut Fridays" offer with an Instagram contest starring Gabi Butler, the all-star cheerleader who appears in Netflix's docu-series "Cheer." The fast-food chain's "Thank Goodness It's Free Donut Fridays" challenge gives customers a chance to win free doughnuts for a year, according to an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer.
• Butler on March 4 will post a special "Dunkin' cheer" to the company's Instagram account and urge people to post their own video or story of their best "T-G-I-F-D-F" cheer on the image-messaging app. Dunkin' is asking entrants to tag its @Dunkin account and use the #FDFSweepstakes hashtag in their posts. Every Friday during March, Dunkin' will randomly choose a winner to receive a $441 gift card that's equal to buying seven doughnuts a week for a year, per the contest rules.
• Dunkin' this month is offering members of its DD Perks loyalty program a free doughnut every Friday with the purchase of any beverage. People can enroll in the program at the DDPerks.com website or the Dunkin' app that's free to download from Apple's App Store or Google Play.

Insight:

Dunkin's "Free Donut Fridays" offer aims to boost membership in its DD Perks loyalty program, which had 13.6 million members as of the end of last year, per a quarterly report. DD Perks members were responsible for 13% of the company's sales in Q4, while 5% of sales came from on-the-go mobile ordering. By boosting the DD Perks program, the fast-food chain can cultivate stronger customer loyalty, obtain more data about purchasing habits and reach customers on their mobile devices with promotions and special offers.

By partnering with Gabi Butler, who has 1.6 million followers on Instagram and a YouTube channel, Dunkin' can engage a target audience of young adults who tend to be more difficult to reach through traditional media channels. Social media challenges have become a popular way for brands to extend the reach of their campaigns through viral sharing on platforms like Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Most recently, brands like Uber Eats India and Chipotle Mexican Grill have run challenge campaigns on Instagram.

Dunkin's recent promotional efforts also have included Instagram contests. In January, the company challenged users of the photo-sharing app to design their own sweaters as part of its national "Talkin' Hockey with Pasta and Kendall" campaign that debuted before the NHL's All-Star Weekend. The quirky promotion for Dunkin' cold brew coffee included a series of TV spots starring Boston Bruins player David "Pasta" Pastrňák and Kendall Coyne Schofield, captain of the U.S. National Women's Hockey Team.