Pitcher & Piano has hired mobile marketing agency MindMatics for a campaign covering its bars in Newcastle, Birmingham, Bristol, Richmond and London.
The first phase of the strategy, which is gathering data, has been launched and will see existing customers offered the chance to win a prize if they text their name and postcode to a shortcode.
Tristram Hillier, marketing manager at Pitcher & Piano, said: "Unlike other types of marketing, mobile gives us an edge through its immediate impact, so our brand is still fresh in customers' minds when they go out. Flyers, posters and other methods can't deliver this."
In the second phase, these people will be sent another text offering them a free bottle of wine if three of their friends send in their details.
The third phase will come in the New Year, with individual bar managers able to send texts to newly collected database. This will be used to send special offers that will tempt customers in to the bar.
Geoff Morley, commercial director of MindMatics, said: "By increasing the group's database of customer contact details and also offering Pitcher & Piano a direct channel to their market, SMS gives them a fast-acting and effective medium for optimising customer relations."
Hillier said that mobile marketing would be used alongside other media such as email newsletters and a customer magazine, and the SMS and email databases will be integrated.
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