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Subway drives in-store traffic via new mobile campaign to promote Steak Melts sandwiches

The company is running the mobile campaign within Pandora’s iPhone application. The company has relied on mobile advertising in the past to help spread the word out about its new products.

“The Subway campaign is solid but not spectacular,” said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism, New York. “Despite the tagline, consumers can’t actually try a new steak melt of course but what they can do is learn more about it by watching the video commercial about the sandwich line.”

Mr. Buckingham  is not affiliated with Subway. He commented based on her expertise on the subject.

Subway did not respond to press inquiries.

Heating up
The Subway mobile banner ad reads “Try Our Steak Melts Collection.”

When consumers tap on the ad, they are redirected to a mobile landing page where they can view a commercial that showcases the steak melts collection, as well as learn more about it.

From there, consumers can also find the nearest Subway location to try out the sandwiches for themselves.

A mobile campaign such as this is a great way for Subway to help spread the word out and bolster foot traffic to its many locations.

Consumers are constantly on their mobile devices, therefore targeting them with a mobile ad is a great way for brands to market to new and existing customers.

Past efforts
Subway is no stranger to mobile.

Earlier this year, the fast food giant drove consumers in-store via a mobile advertising campaign that promoted its new line of sandwiches.

Subway’s mobile ads promoted the company’s turkey melt sandwiches and encouraged consumers to create their perfect sandwich (see story).

Most recently, Subway placed mobile calls-to-action on its soft drink cups and sandwich bags to not only build the company’s email database, but also reward consumers with prizes for playing games.

The Subway promotion was part of the company’s broader marketing campaign for the “Battleship” film (see story).

“The new Subway mobile campaign doesn’t include any incentives or coupons or calls to action or location sensitive elements, however the campaign is mobile optimized,” Mr. Buckingham said.

“With Subway, consumers get to eat fresh, but this isn’t a particularly fresh mobile marketing campaign,” he said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York