Indiana-based HotBox Pizza has found the second time the charm for its mobile loyalty and rewards program. After only a month in test drive, the new program, which is being powered by mobile services firm Tetherball, has already seen a 24% redemption rate from the opt-in offer and a 10% redemption rate on the proceeding coupons.
The idea behind the newly renovated mobile loyalty program “BoxStar,” which will be kicked into full effect this month is to engage pizza fans on the mobile phone.
“Our target audience is really connected with mobile phone and they stay connected all the time, “said Nikki Halcomb, director of marketing at HotBox Pizza. “So we found a way to connect with them and to be involved in their lives. If we have a new product coming out, we’ll let them know.
Or if we are sponsoring a local concert or art opening, we’ll let them know.”
HotBox joins other pizza chains that market on the mobile phone, including Papa John’s, Pizza Hut and Domino’s.
“HotBox is up against the big brands, and there is a lot of clutter in the space,” said Jay Highley, president and CEO at Tetherball. “It was looking for a solution that would help them reach its audience in a direct way.”
Members of the HotBox Pizza mobile loyalty program receive discounts and notifications on their mobile phones that highlight menu items, special deals, and upcoming community events in which the chain will be involved. HotBox sends four to five texts a month.
Because HotBox has locations across the state of Indiana and recently expanded into Texas, it is important to the brand that they can segment users based on location.
“With Tetherball, we can separate lists for different stores, which is really important for us,” added Halcomb. “We don’t want someone in Indiana to get a text about a promotion in our Texas store.”
To promote the new program, HotBox is running collateral ads in-store and online, as well as on flyers and on pizza boxes.
