RetailMeNot is driving new downloads of its mobile application with a Valentine’s Day-themed sweepstakes that gives consumers the chance to win a number of prizes.

Once consumers download the app, they can play the “Loves Me, Loves Me Not” sweepstakes by plucking petals from a flower to determine if they are a winner. Consumers can win Amazon gift cards or one of four grand prizes.

“The ‘Loves Me, Loves Me Not’ sweepstakes is a component of our larger mobile strategy,” said Jill Balis, senior vice president of marketing at RetailMeNot, Inc, Austin, TX. “Our goal is to introduce new and existing RetailMeNot users to the great in-store offers and online deals available in our app every day.

“Based on past campaigns, we have found that consumers really enjoy having the opportunity to win great prizes in addition to saving money so have launched this sweepstakes as a fun way to engage consumers,” she said.

“Our focus in creating these mobile sweepstakes is to provide shoppers an entertaining experience they will want to share with others. By including a daily chance to win a $20 Amazon.com gift card and get extra entries into our weekly grand prize worth up to $5000, we want to reinforce that the RetailMeNot app is one that users should open every day and every time they shop to ensure that they never miss a deal.”

He loves me
RetailMeNot provides coupons for consumers via its free mobile application, and it is trying to acquire new users through this sweepstakes.

Through March 8, consumers who download the app can pluck petals from a flower to enter the sweepstakes. They can enter once each day for a chance at winning one of 5,000 $20 Amazon.com gift cards.

Every consumer that enters the daily sweepstakes will automatically be entered to the grand prize sweepstakes for a chance at winning one of four prizes that are worth up to $5,000.

This week’s grand prize is a $5,000 custom package from Florist Transworld Delivery. Next week is $5,000 in Amazon gift cards, the week after that is $5,000 in travel vouchers from Orbitz and the last week is a $5,000 check.

Additionally, consumers can earn more entries by sharing the sweepstakes with their friends via email or Twitter.

App downloads

Marketers have been experimenting with a number of ways to acquire new app users. Some marketers try lower prices or offer free apps, and some look to contests and other forms of engagement.

This past Thanksgiving, the Butterball turkey recipe app was free to download for the first time in an effort to drive more app downloads (see story).

FedEx used more traditional marketing tactics with in-store signage and QR codes that address shoppers while they were waiting in line last year (see story).

The Nebraska Lottery went with geolocated ads to convince consumers to download its app (see story).

RetailMeNot’s sweepstakes is a smart way for the company to tackle this issue. Not only is it relevant for its target audience who is presumably looking to save money, but it also drives post-download engagement since consumers can enter daily.

“Ultimately, the more consumers that engage with our app, the more we can help them save money and the more business we will drive to our retail partners,” Ms. Balis said. “We have found that consumer engagement with our app drives significant incremental in-store footfall and high ROI for our retail partners.

“The sweepstakes is, in essence, a means to an end to drive increased user adoption and thus a highly effective channel for retailers to grow their in-store traffic and sales,” she said.

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York