Convenience store chain Kangaroo Express is kicking its fourth annual Roo Cup promotion into high gear via mobile, enabling consumers to reserve a refillable beverage cup, receive special offers and enter to win prizes from their phones.

Between Memorial Day and the end of September, Kangaroo Express is offering the ROO Cup, which can be refilled with frozen and fountain drinks for 25 cents after paying the initial purchase price of $6.99. This year, consumers can reserve their cups via the Kangaroo Express mobile application and receive a certificate enabling them to purchase and start using a ROO Cup one week before everyone else.

“To drive frequency after the initial download, mobile apps need to find a unique, timely value proposition,” said Gary Schwartz, Toronto-based author of “The Impulse Economy” and “Fast Shopper, Slow Store.”

“If they do not, they will become phone-top road kill,” he said. “They will become buried in a folder.

“Ultimately stores need more seamless recurring engagement to remain relevant.”

Mr. Schwartz is not affiliated with Kangaroo Express. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Kangaroo Express did not respond to a request for comment.

Making a reservation
The ROO Cup is a collectible cup that can be refilled at any of the more than 1,500 Kangaroo Express locations throughout the Southeast with a fountain or frozen beverage for just 25 cents during the summer.

Kangaroo Express saw more than 30,000 consumers reserve their ROO Cup for last year’s promotion, when reservations could make only on Facebook and not via the app.

Starting April 1, consumers can reserve their 2014 ROO Cup on the Kangaroo Express Facebook page or mobile app. Doing so will unlock an additional week of ROO Cup refills, with those who make a reservation receiving a certificate via email or on the mobile app deals page.

The certificate has details for how to redeem in-store and purchase a ROO Cup starting Thursday, April 24 at 8 am, which is one week before the ROO Cup’s release to the public on May 1.

The Kangaroo Express mobile app is free to download on Google Play, Apple App Store or BlackBerry App World.

Social contest
The promotion will also include ROO Cup social media contests each month to give ROO Cup owners the opportunity to win prizes and be featured on the Roo Cup site.

The first contest will kick off April 7, asking ROO Cup owners to share how they are reusing their 2013 cup and finding uses for it all year long. Customers can share their comments using the hashtag #ROOCupRefresh.

Similar to last year, customers can also join the ROO Club by texting  keyword ROOCLUB to the short code 843766, or THEROO, to receive text messaging deals, such as free refill days and in-store deals.

“Offering the ROO cup exclusively via their mobile app and Facebook page will not only drive Kangaroo Express customers to re-engage with the brand’s digitial media channels, but will also drive those who have not yet downloaded the app or liked the Facebook page to do so,” said Shuli Lowy, marketing director of Ping Mobile, New York.

“The brand is specifically offering the promotion through digital channels with which they want to increase engagement and reach,” she said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New  York