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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
AT&T Wireless and McDonald's(R) Serve up Text Messaging with History-Making Promotion
REDMOND, Wash., and OAK BROOK, Ill., June 21 --
AT&T Wireless (NYSE: AWE) and McDonald's(R) (NYSE: MCD) are feeding into the
text messaging craze as the companies launch the largest on-packaging, text
messaging promotion in U.S. history.
Beginning this week, more than 250 million McDonald's to-go bags will
prominently feature an Olympic-related trivia game, exclusively available to
AT&T Wireless text messaging users. AT&T Wireless customers can test their
Olympic IQ by using the text messaging feature on their wireless phones to
answer the questions. This marks the largest-scale text promotion of its kind
in the U.S. and further extends McDonald's official sponsorship of the 2004
Olympic Games and AT&T Wireless' sponsorship of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team.
Unlike other promotional games with multiple entry options, the only way for
consumers to play the Olympic Trivia game is via AT&T Wireless text messaging
service.
"After teaching America how to send text messages through our sponsorship
of 'AMERICAN IDOL' on FOX, we're turning our focus from prime time to meal
time, and leading the evolution of mobile marketing in this country," said
Glenice Maclellan, vice president of messaging services for AT&T Wireless
Mobile Multimedia Services. "McDonald's, a leading innovator of convenience,
recognizes how enjoyable it can be for its customers to instantly play a game
or enter a contest using the mobile phone they carry with them every day.
Text messaging offers unmatched immediacy and ease of use, turning the small
screen on wireless phones into a powerful marketing tool."
"This promotion is the latest example of how McDonald's is offering its
customers new and innovative opportunities to connect with the brand," said
Karlin Lindhardt, Senior Director, McDonald's US Marketing. "We are proud to
team with AT&T Wireless to bring the Olympic sponsorship to life and our
overall Olympic spirit to our customers in a fun and convenient way."
Olympic-related trivia questions will debut on McDonald's to-go bags in
mid-June. Participants simply respond to the question on the bag by sending a
text message to the number 2004 with the corresponding letter choice in the
body of the message. Standard text messaging rates apply. For more
information about AT&T Wireless text messaging, visit
http://www.attwireless.com/text.
Leading the Adoption of Messaging in the U.S.
Mobile marketing is just the latest way AT&T Wireless is driving the use
and adoption of text messaging in the U.S. AT&T Wireless was among the first
of the national carriers to offer text messaging in the U.S. beginning in
October 2000. In November 2001, AT&T Wireless became the first national
carrier to allow its customers to send text messages to virtually any wireless
phone - regardless of the carrier - simply by knowing the recipient's phone
number. In July 2002, AT&T Wireless became the first carrier to introduce
color picture messaging in the United States. In February of 2003, the
company introduced multimedia messaging service (MMS) to the U.S., allowing
customers to combine color pictures, animations, text and sound that can be
sent to and from wireless phones. In 2003 and 2004, AT&T Wireless created the
largest text messaging events by a single carrier worldwide through its
sponsorship of "AMERICAN IDOL" on FOX. Today, AT&T Wireless is actively
working to be among the first carriers in the U.S. to launch inter-carrier MMS
services this year.
About AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless (NYSE: AWE) is the second-largest wireless carrier, based on
revenues, in the United States. With 21.692 million subscribers as of March
31, 2004, and revenues of more than $16.8 billion over the past four quarters,
AT&T Wireless delivers advanced high-quality mobile wireless communications
services, voice and data, to businesses and consumers, in the U.S. and
internationally.
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