Wendy’s Teams Up With StubHub for Surprise Digital Discounts

Online ticket marketplace StubHub and quickfood service chain Wendy’s have teamed up in a digital coupon campaign aimed at engaging with fans and providing them with an “added sense of unexpected value.”

Spoiler alert: Through July 6, StubHub customers that purchase tickets priced at less than $30 will receive $1.50 off their StubHub order with messaging that tells them the discount is courtesy of Wendy’s and could be used to purchase Wendy’s new Steakhouse Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe for $1.49.

According to StubHub, customers will receive the $1.50 discount through Right Price Right Size (RPRS) messaging.

“The discount is automatically applied for tickets $30 and under,” says Randi Walz, East Coast sales manager at StubHub. “There are no hoops to jump through.”

StubHub customers will receive the discount automatically on select games. However, the coupon will not apply to any future Wendy’s purchases, notes another StubHub rep. The promotion will be available via mobile Web and desktop services, but not StubHub’s native app.

Some additional StubHub users will also be rewarded with upgraded seats at various events in June. However, because the point is to “surprise and delight fans,” Walz declined to discuss further details.

Walz also says there is a social piece that ties in with the event upgrades, but she again declined further comment until the campaign wraps up.

“StubHub always focuses on creative out-of-the-box partnerships to engage with consumers and improve the game-day experience for fans. We look for partners that are relevant to our audience. The whole purpose of the campaign is to surprise and delight…There was a natural synergy between us and Wendy’s,” Walz says.

For Wendy’s, the campaign is an example of how the chain is attempting to reconnect with value-conscious consumers after acknowledging that some of these may have been lost after not promoting its value menu last year. 

“Wendy’s has a new cheeseburger…so you will be surprised and delighted if you try that menu item…and if you buy a ticket on StubHub for baseball games or concerts and the ticket is $30 or less, you also get a surprise discount that you otherwise wouldn’t expect,” notes Walz. 

Commenting on the move, Paul Chaney, principal of Chaney Marketing Group, says tactics like this discount campaign will pay off with certain audiences and may provide a short-term lift. However the key to long-term benefit is to continue providing value to the recipients of the deal, which may mean continuing to offer deals.

Walz says the “mobile initial results that we’re seeing are crazy high,” but she was “not at liberty” to share additional details.

A Wendy’s rep was not available for comment by deadline.