Rugby Super 12

Client: Telecom New Zealand Limited

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

Project: Xtra Super 12 – mobile game

Solution: RedPlay mobile platform

Launched: February 2003

Campaign Length: 93 days

Background:

Telecom is New Zealand's largest telecommunications provider and a substantial sponsor of NZ rugby. Telecom’s rugby sponsorship supports all levels of the game from its grass roots through to the professional levels.
Telecom Mobile and Xtra are both part of the greater Telecom Corporation of New Zealand.
After a great result at the World Rugby Sevens Run The Red was asked to develop a mobile game to support Telecoms sponsorship of the Xtra Super 12. Run The Red deployed its mobile gaming platform RedPay for the project.

Objectives:

• Create a mobile campaign to enhance Xtra's involvement in the sponsorship of the Super 12 and New Zealand rugby

• Promote the new services provided on the Telecom Mobile's 027 network

• Use a text-driven campaign to attract, engage and retain Telecom customers

Promotion of Campaign:

• Direct contact with a database of Telecom 027 opt-in mobile users built from previous campaigns

• Innovative marketing strategies aimed at game-going rugby supporters

Strategy:

Players accumulated points by answering trivia questions. Players received a universal daily question, and, having answered that correctly, could then request a bonus question. As the player progressed through their bonus questions, the points received for correct answers increased and accumulated in their personal account, which was monitored by Run The Red. The more questions you answered, the more chances you had of winning.

In addition to receiving questions, players could text in to access their personal account, check on how many points they had, request more bonus questions, and unsubscribe from the competition.

At registration stage users were asked to nominate their favourite team, and were categorised as such. The progress of these teams (judged by accumulated points gained by all users in the team) was measured on a web site dedicated to the mobile campaign. From the website players could see who was winning and gauge support for their team.

The prize pool was extensive, with daily prize draws published on the web site. Prize draws were performed by RedPlay’s random generator and distributed by Telecom Mobile.

Results:

• 7,500 registered users throughout the campaign

• 5,500 players engaged with the game on a daily basis

• Over 500,000 text messages generated during the campaign

• Successful use of player database established during prior sporting campaigns

• Telecom brand visibly promoted as an active and committed sponsor and supporter of New Zealand sporting events