Nestlé Waters is rolling out a mobile campaign for brands including Arrowhead, Deer Park and Ice Mountain that combines QR codes, SMS and mobile Web sites to let consumers vie for a chance at winning a travel package or gift cards.

The food giant has partnered with gas station chain Kangaroo Express to promote and distribute the campaign. Nestlé is working with Hipcricket, Kirkland, WA, on this marketing effort which runs through June 30.

“Think about the target customers for this campaign—they’re on-the-go, grabbing water at a Kangaroo Express convenience store,” said Doug Stovall, senior vice president of sales and client services at Hipcricket.

“They’re likely making a snap decision about their drink of choice,” he said.

“This mobile marketing campaign is an ideal tool to reach these customers and engage them while they’re out and about—they can opt-in in a matter of seconds, on the device they always have at arm’s reach, through a QR code or short code—in such a way that empowers Nestlé to build their brand presence with this on-the-go consumer.”

Kangaroo Express operates approximately 1,700 stores across thirteen different states.

Grab and go
The goal of the Nestlé campaign is to drive sales and product awareness of Nestlé’s Waters regional brands.

Nestlé is giving away a travel package valued at $6,000 for one lucky consumer. Additionally, consumers can also win Kangaroo Express gift cards.

The mobile campaign is being promoted with mobile bar code-enabled signage at Kangaroo Express locations. They appear on point-of-sale materials, pump towers and cooler clingers.

Nestlé’s campaign also includes an SMS portion. Users can enter the sweepstakes by texting either the keyword WATER1 or WATER2 to the short code 24474. A text message is then sent to consumers that asks them to reply with their birthday to enter the contest.

Users can tap on a link inside the text message to see a full list of the sweepstake’s rules.

Although smartphone ownership is growing, not every consumer can scan a mobile bar code. Therefore, it is a smart idea to include both a QR code and SMS option for participants.

Nestlé is using Hipcricket’s Ad Life platform that lets the company plan, launch and manage campaigns.

Mobile waters
Earlier this year, Nestlé used a mobile campaign for its Perrier brand (see story).

The campaign revolved around a YouTube clip that changed depending on how many times users watched it. Users were encouraged to watch the video by opting-in to the brand’s SMS program.

For a brand such as Nestlé that is available at any convenience store, mobile is a great way to build a one-on-one relationship with users.

“The setting is perfect—reaching an on-the-go customer in a way that is convenient to them, at a convenience store,” Mr. Stovall said.

“We were able to offer a mobilized experience to any Nestlé customer with a mobile phone and a desire to engage—and offer it easily and quickly,” he said.

“Ultimately, driving sales is the main goal—but beyond that, Nestlé wanted to build engagement and brand awareness through relevant, entertaining campaigns, the results of which could be easily measured and optimized.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York