App offers money-off for sports fans in pubs

App offers money-off for sports fans in pubs
Offers at game times via iPhones and Android

Restaurant and pub operator Mitchells & Butlers has launched a loyalty app enabling money off purchases for sports fan customers.

The ‘Green Card’ app offers discounts and freebies on selected food and drinks during major televised games to iPhone and Android users. The free app also links with the Sky Sports News homepage to provide updates on the latest sporting news.

Mitchells & Butlers owns 1,600 pubs, bars and restaurants in the UK. The app will be available in over 250 venues including Sizzling Pubs, O’Neill’s, Crown Carveries and Oak Tree Pubs. The app has been supplied by software as a service (SaaS) provider Eagle Eye Solutions.

Green Card was initially launched last year as a paper loyalty card that offered holders 20% off selected drinks 45 minutes before, during and 45 minutes after major football fixtures.

The app also has features including fixtures lists, live results and a ‘Find your Local’ map.

Customers can download the app from the App Store or Google Play and once registered are assigned a unique ID. It captures customer data that can be used to build segmented profiles for sending out personalised emails and push notifications.

iBeacons will also be deployed across the 300 participating pubs so that the push notifications received include the right message at the right time, dependant on that customer’s app journey – for example, to prompt usage once users have registered or to encourage them to get their final stamp. The app will also include a digital wallet that customers can use to store their offers and rewards for use at a later date if they choose.

Eagle Eye says that the initial paper card resulted in 2.7 million offer redemptions.

Mikey Duffy, marketing manager of Sizzling Pubs, O’Neill’s, Crown Carveries and Oak Tree Pubs said: “We have seen some fantastic results since we piloted the card based scheme last season. The addition of iBeacons will also offer great opportunities to capture our customers at the right time ensuring that they are always receiving something of value from us.”