The  mobile gift cards are available in several St. Patrick’s Day designs and can be sent via email, SMS or Facebook from the mGift feature on the Dunkin’ Donuts mobile app. The mobile offers, which can be found in the My Offers tab in the app, let users save $1 off a 50-count box Munchkins or to purchase two muffins for $2.

“We felt that St. Patrick’s Day offered a chance for our guests to spread a little cheer and luck with themed mGifts on the Dunkin’ App,” said Dave Tryder, director of interactive marketing at Dunkin’ Donuts.

“We know that many of our guests celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and wanted to give them an opportunity to gift Irish Creme coffee and donuts, or their favorite food and beverages at Dunkin’ Donuts,” he said.

“Whether related to a holiday occasion or a surprise pick-me-up, we know that our themed mGifts are popular with our guests, who see them as a fun, easy way to treat the people in their lives.”

The mobile equation
For St. Patrick’s Day, Dunkin’ Donuts is also offering the new Irish Crème donut for a limited time, as well as Irish Crème coffees, lattes and Coolatta beverages.

The St. Patrick’s Day mobile gift cards are the latest example of how Dunkin’ Donuts ties its promotional efforts to a holiday theme.

Increasingly, these efforts also include a mobile element to reinforce the theme while providing another way to reach customers with offers.

Just last month, Dunkin’ Donuts made it easy for last-minute gift givers on Valentine’s Day to share their feelings with someone special by giving a themed-mobile gift card in one of several designs featuring the brand’s heart-shaped donuts or sayings such as “You are the Turbo Shot to My Heart” (see story).

The virtual gift cards can be redeemed directly from a mobile phone at more than 6,000 participating U.S. Dunkin’ Donuts locations. They can also be added directly to the Dunkin’ App and reloaded right from the phone, providing a fast, convenient way to pay.

A good offer
To redeem one of the mobile offers available throughout March, app users can select an offer in the My Offers tab, tap it to redeem it and then show the offer’s QR code to a Dunkin’ Donuts employee to scan it.

“While we’re not able to share specific participation numbers, we know that our guests are enthusiastic about value offers, and enjoy being recognized for their loyalty with deals and discounts,” Mr. Tryder said. “We are, in turn, excited by the opportunity to deliver these to them, directly through the Dunkin’ App, making it even easier for on-the-go people to run on Dunkin’.”

The Dunkin’ Donuts Mobile App is available for free from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

Dunkin’ Donuts continues to expand its mobile strategy in other ways, as well. Recently, the chain integrated its mobile app into Apple’s Passbook, enabling users to scan their Dunkin’ Pass in-store or at the drive-thru to pay for a purchase (see story).

“We know that our guests enjoy holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and are always looking for opportunities to engage with them across the most relevant mediums,” Mr. Tryder said.

“Given the on-the-go nature of our guests, mobile is always top-of-mind for us. Our priority is to continue enhancing Dunkin’ Donuts’ presence in the mobile space, from special offers, to social media content and promotions, media partnerships, and more,” he said.

“These efforts are, of course, complemented by the seasonal product offers that we have on our menu, which this month are the Irish Creme Donut and Irish Creme Coffee beverages.”

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