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Zaxby's launches loyalty app

September 19, 2013

Zaxby's is kicking off its new college football and basketball sponsorship with the unveiling of its Check-in For Chicken mobile app and social rewards program. The interactive website and iOS app enable Zaxby's fans to engage with the brand beyond its restaurants, according to a company press release.

Check-in for Chicken encourages users to link their social media accounts — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and others — to receive points for engaging in social activities with the brand.

"Zaxby's fan base has grown exponentially since we opened the doors to our first restaurant. Our guests' passion for our chicken drives us to continuously develop new and innovative ways to connect with them," said Zach McLeroy, CEO and cofounder of Zaxby's. "The Check-in For Chicken social rewards program helps us deliver on our goal to exceed expectations and provide our fans a superior experience."

Participants can interact in many ways, including uploading photos, updating their status and inviting friends. The mobile app also allows users to locate their nearest restaurant, check-in at Zaxby's and view their points on the leaderboard. Users redeem points for entries to win prizes, including free Zaxby's for a year and a trip and tickets to the 2014 college football national championship game in Pasadena, Calif.

The new social rewards program and mobile app are a joint collaboration between St. John & Partners, Zaxby's advertising and digital agency, and social platform Lodestone Social Media.

"Zaxby's is a brand that's been built on the engagement of its fans. We decided to not just leverage that fanaticism but to also reward it and incentivize it," said Shane Santiago, VP and digital director of St. John & Partners. "These brand advocates are already broadcasting on their social networks about Zaxby's so we hope to give them an opportunity to win prizes for actions they're already taking, and to let our brand become the platform for their conversations."

The social rewards program is part of Zaxby's 2-year college sports sponsorship with 28 Division I colleges across every state where Zaxby's restaurants are located. Fans can visit checkinforchicken.com or download the free mobile app in the iTunes online store to participate.

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