Every first day of Spring, Italian ice connoisseurs flock to various Rita’s locations across the country for a free cup of their favorite flavor. Now they’ve added various forms of social media – and the hashtag, #ritasfirstdayofspring – to their sweet marketing mix, so fans can share their refreshing treats with their friends and followers. After getting their free Rita’s ice, people can follow the brand and post their pictures on Twitter and Instagram (@ritasice) for a chance to win free ice for an entire year. The chain also joined the QR Code bandwagon, adding two codes (one for Apple Devices, one for Android) on their cups for consumers to earn Rita’s Rewards.
Props to @RitasItalianIce for diligently monitoring their Twitter account today, which boomed with activity, thanking followers for participating and encouraging others to have a try for themselves. They even had a few shout-outs, albeit unanswered, to various celebs asking if they had tried their Italian ice.
The chain has essentially claimed this day as their own holiday, “Rita’s Ice Day,” giving away a little (ok, a lot) of product but getting a lot in return. People now associate Rita’s with Spring – and look forward to getting their free ice to kick off the season. I know I do. This year, I enjoyed Mint Chocolate Chip, but it was a difficult decision to make!
~ Nicole Mazewski, Account Coordinator, The S3 Agency
