As you may already know, July 11 (7/11) is the day convenience store giant 7-Eleven has adopted as its birthday, and every year for the past dozen years the chain, to mark the occasion, has given away 12-ounce Slurpees. But this year, for its 87th birthday, it will extend the celebration by giving away a series of freebies July 12-19 to consumers who have downloaded its mobile app.
The giveaways include "everything from free ice cream bars to free cookies to free Big Gulps," reports USA Today. The promotion will follow the usual birthday Slurpee giveaway this Friday, aimed squarely at millennials.
"Everyone is looking to create brand utility through apps," Via Agency brand consultant Greg Smith told USA Today. "The problem is, there are already too many highly effective ways to manage your interactions with brands without downloading another app."
But 7-Eleven is convinced its week of giveaways are the answer. And why not? The annual Slurpee giveaway has been a huge hit, drawing in millions of customers. July 11 is routinely the chain's biggest day of the year by customer count and among its biggest in sales, according to Laura Gordon, vp, marketing and brand communication for the chain.
In addition, 7-Eleven this year will cut the cost of its Big Bite hot dogs from $1.99 to $1. It aims to get consumers to try out new flavors like 7-Eleven Lemonade Slurpee and Slurpee Lite Sugar-Free Fanta Watermelon Punch as well as its new Doritos Loaded snacks.
Executives hope the 7-Eleven app and its accompanying giveaways will boost short-term sales while building long-term relationships among consumers.
In addition to providing access to the weeklong promotion, the app "customizes based on time of day, product preference and even the weather outside."
Here's the full list of giveaways, via USA Today:
7-ELEVEN FREEBIES
No strings attached—just walk in:
• Friday, July 11: Small Slurpee
Must download 7-Eleven app:
• July 12: Big Gulp soft drink
• July 13: M&M's Birthday Cake Flavor candies
• July 14: Grandma's Cookies
• July 15: Hostess Twinkies
• July 16: Snickers or Twix brand ice cream bar
• July 17: Quaker Chewy Yogurt snack bar
• July 18: Pillsbury cookie
• July 19: Small Slurpee