KFC franchisee, KBP Brands, has rolled out an SMS and mobile wallet pilot program at 162 participating KBP-owned Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Texas, New York (Buffalo), New Jersey, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

KBP Brands is working with Vibes on the program, which aims to equip local markets with innovative tools to win customers effectively and provide strong, trackable results. The program is designed to boost consumer engagement, increase in-store traffic and grow loyalty at its KFC restaurants through the delivery of timely, personalized messages.

KBP Brands can now instantly reach consumers through SMS and mobile wallet by sending targeted messages to local audiences based on price, demographic and regional competition. Restaurants can also offer unique promotions to customers, rewarding them for repeat visits or for opting into the SMS program. For example, those who opt in to the KBP Nrands text program from a mobile device receive an instant text alert offer and new offers weekly. Customers can opt-in to the KBP Brands text program by texting the word ‘DEALS’ to 25899.  

According to Vibes, on average, brands see immediate rapid subscriber growth, with a 98 per cent retention rate and 40x ROI with mobile messaging programs. KBP Brands will benefit from being able to deliver SMS messages at scale within a highly specific timeframe.

“The text messaging program fills a gap in our local marketing toolkits, serving as an efficient mechanism to deliver relevant and timely offers to individuals,” said Tonya Mangels, Vice President of Marketing Activation at KBP Brands. “A broad value at a national level can be a challenge, especially by geographic area. We wanted the ability to activate compelling messaging quickly based on our restaurants’ unique needs. The quick-service restaurant industry is highly competitive, and SMS marketing is a cost-effective tool that will help us both attract new customers and retain current customers.”