McDonald's Tries Mobile to Hawk Fish, Targets Hispanic Market

McDonald’s is launching a new cross-channel promotion with a special focus on SMS short codes to promote its Filet O’ Fish sandwich, and is placing an extra emphasis on targeting the Hispanic marketplace. The promotion will span approximately 40 U.S. markets.

The campaign, created by Moroch Partners, launched February 21 with a Web site at Filetofish.com, while radio, television and in-store promotions kick off next Monday. The company is putting particular emphasis on a mobile component of the campaign that gives customers access to free games, wallpapers and ring tones associated with the Filet O’ Fish, according to Mike Breslin, VP of marketing and public relations for I-play, a mobile gaming company providing content for McDonalds.

“This campaign is big in that the mobile aspect of it is part of everything, the [point of purchase] in stores, the banners ads, all the way down to the packaging, they are promoting the mobile short codes,” said Breslin. “Mobile phones are becoming more of a personalized item.”

To access to the mobile content, customers will be instructed to send the message “FOF,” short for Filet O’ Fish, via text message to the short code 37438. McDonald’s is also promoting a Hispanic version of the promotion, using “FOF 1,” to reach out to what the company sees as a fast growing mobile user segment with significant brand loyalty.

Breslin pointed to research finding Hispanics are heavy mobile users but frequently don’t own PCs. “They are very brand loyal and use their mobile phone to access the Internet. McDonald’s is very interested in the Hispanic market.” He added the campaign’s focus on Filet O’ Fish is partly owed to the arrival of Lent, when several Christian traditions reduce or eliminate meat from the diet for up to six weeks.

I-play is providing three free game demos, including a “Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift” racing game. I-play previously partnered with McDonalds on last year’s Midnight Gaming Championship, produced by The Video Gamers League (VGL) and Affinity Sports Marketing.