One of the best ways to learn how to use a marketing tool is to see it in action. Today I will launch a series of posts featuring mobile marketing campaigns that are in progress right now.

At the Minnesota State Fair (going on August 21st to September 1st) , The Scion Chicago Region is using text messaging to give away Garmin TM GPS navigators to people who can guess the number of Scion-branded Skulls placed inside a Scion vehicle. Participants guess how many Skulls are in the car and text in their vote. The person who guesses correctly wins the GPS unit. (The number of Skulls inside the car changes every day.)

Each day 20 people win a free T-shirt and are notified of their winning by text message. This is a really smart use of mobile marketing because they are likely still at the State Fair and have their phone on their hip. When they are notified they win it is easy to get back to the booth and claim their prize.

The Scion folks are thrilled with this mobile campaign that Encompass Advertising and Marketing has developed for them. And they should be. It is easy to participate, it provides value to the people who participate and engages them in a smart way around being mobile.

Encompass is a full-service agency, but instead of working to be the “agency of record” they work to be the “go to” agency, providing unique ideas and thinking that stands out and gets results. Sounds like they’re doing just that.

Congrats to both Scion and Encompass for a great mobile marketing campaign.