Arby’s is rewarding customers for uploading purchase receipts via their smartphones and other mobile activities as a way to encourage trial for a new product, the Smokehouse Brisket Sandwich.

The rewards campaign, called The League of Brisket, encourages customers who are passionate about brisket to join and complete challenges to earn free food, gear and a chance to win a tailgate party as well as pro football tickets. In its first week, 24 percent of participants who checked-in also purchased the sandwich and uploaded their receipt.

“The role of mobile in this particular campaign is to drive interest and participation with The League of Brisket Sweepstakes,” said Mary Ellen Barto, Vice President of media impact at Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., Sandy Springs, GA.

“The League of Brisket encourages Arby’s fans who love brisket to join the League and complete challenges to earn free food and prizes, with a grand prize of two tickets to a professional football game,” she said.

“We have partnered with PunchTab to bring this component of the campaign to life and have been able to implement numerous ways to earn entries into the sweepstakes directly from mobile devices, including liking Arby’s on Facebook, following Arby’s on Twitter, tweeting using the #LeagueofBrisketRewards hashtag, posting brisket images to Instagram and checking in on FourSquare. In addition, Arby’s customers can upload a receipt upon purchasing the new Smokehouse Brisket Sandwich, without having to download an app, and submit via the League Of Brisket website to gain points.”

Arby’s worked with loyalty and engagement platform PunchTab and agency Crispin, Porter & Bogusky on the campaign.

Customer insights
The Arby’s campaign launched on Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 30 in participating locations nationwide.

The focus of the effort is on engaging and rewarding participants for activities such as uploading purchase receipts.

PunchTab created a mobile Web and desktop site where Arby’s customers can upload a receipt without requiring customers to download an application.

When users make a purchase, they can take a picture of their receipt and submit it via the mobile Web site. The receipt image is automatically uploaded and upon verification, 3,000 points are awarded.

Alternatively, consumers can upload their receipt from their computer and submit it online from the campaign’s home page.

By rewarding customers for uploading receipts, Arby’s is able to tie engagement behavior to purchase data and gain further insights into customer behavior.

In-store, online bridge
Participants are also rewarded for engaging with Arby’s in other ways, such as checking-in at an Arby’s location on Foursquare or Facebook, which earns users 1,000 points.

Arby’s customers can also earn 1,000 points for uploading a photo on Instagram using the #LeagueOfBrisketRewards hashtag.

Additional engagements that will earn users points include taking online quizzes, Tweeting, Liking and completing online challenges.

“While the League of Brisket Campaign lives on both Web and mobile Web, by incentivizing actions that are mobile specific, Arby’s can reach and engage users where ever they are,” said Ranjith Kumaran, CEO/founder of PunchTab, Palo Alto, CA.

“Mobile is the bridge between in-store on online,” he said. “Arby’s can convert social traffic and email subscribers to League of Brisket participants and drive in-store traffic.

“Instagram challenges leverage a competitive component to keep users engaged on that channel and serves to encourage content creation and consumption.”

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York