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NHL Team Scores Goal With Text Message Promo
Feb 25, 2008
The Challenge: The National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins sought a way to use new media to cultivate a younger fan base and turn them into life-long fans. They also wanted to have a blowout 20 birthday celebration on Aug. 7, 2007, for all-star center and captain Sidney Crosby.
The Plan: Several years ago, the team reached out to the college crowd by forming the Student Rush Club. Members who joined received special offers on tickets and promotional giveaways, including advance notice of available seats on a per-game basis before they are offered to the general public.
Last summer, with the help of mobile marketing company Vibes Media, Chicago, the Penguins tapped into Student Rush members with a special promo that played off Crosby’s jersey number (87). A “Text-2-Win Promo” call-to-action alert informed Student Rush Club members that the 87 person to text in the keyword “Puck” would win an autographed Sidney Crosby hockey puck.
The Results The Crosby promo generated an 87% response rate. Vibes received 1,735 “puck” messages from a database of more than 2,000 members, 1,500 of which were unique.
“The concept showcased the power of mobile in its truest form,” said Michael Cahan, account director-sports, media and entertainment at Vibes. “The program targeted the Penguins loyal fan base with a compelling offer and asked them to respond in a timely manner, the ultimate recipe for success within the medium.” As a result, said Cahan, “The response rate was through the roof.”
