Zaxbys has launched a new mobile app and social rewards program to kick off its new college football, and basketball sponsorship.
The new application enables fans to become more involved with the restaurant chain other than just eating at one of its locations; the program includes a two-year partnership with 28 Division I colleges across every state where restaurants are based.
Zach McLeroy, Zaxby's chief executive officer and co-founder told Restaurant News the program helps the restaurant accommodate its growing customer base.
"Zaxby's fan base has grown exponentially since we opened the doors to our first restaurant," he said in a statement. "Our guests' passion for our chicken drives us to continuously develop new and innovative ways to connect with them. The check-in for chicken social rewards program helps us deliver on our goal to exceed expectations and provide our fans a superior experience."
The company's new check-in for chicken mobile application and rewards program allows users to link their social media accounts from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and others to obtain points for involving themselves in the company's social activities.
Participants can do this by uploading photos, updating their status, inviting friends, locating the closest restaurant to them, checking into a Zaxby's when they find it, and look at their points on a leaderboard to see if they can redeem points for entries to win prizes such as free Zaxby's for a year, and a trip and tickets to the 2014 college football national championship game in Pasadena, Calif.
The offers are made possible through a collaboration between Zaxby's advertising and digital agency St. John and Partners, along with social media platform Lodestone Social Media.
"Zaxby's is a brand that's been built on the engagement of its fans. We decided to not just leverage that fanaticism but to also reward it and incentivize it," Shane Santiago, vice president and digital director of St. John and Partners told Restaurant News. "These brand advocates are already broadcasting on their social networks about Zaxby's so we hope to give them an opportunity to win prizes for actions their already taking, and to let our brand become the platform for their conversations."
Lodestone Social Media Mark Drosos told Restaurant News the new partnership caters to the way Zaxby's customers live today.
"Technology and social media have changed the way a consumer connects to a brand," he said. "Zaxby's is leading the QSR industry with its understanding that a loyalty program has to go beyond simply rewarding the consumer for a purchase and instead incorporate the brand into the consumer's lifestyle. It's about allowing consumers to engage with the brand on their terms, when they want and how they want."
Those interested can participate by visiting checkinforchicken.com or download the free mobile app in the iTunes online store.
