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September 2006 - Strategy Magazine
Upfront

Gap IMs Canucks

by Annette Bourdeau
page 11

Gap has teamed up with Bell Mobility, MSN and Montreal-based mobile IM enabler Oz Communications to run a coupon/contest promo, "Stay Connected, Stay in Style."

Canadian consumers are invited to test out MSN Messenger on their phones in exchange for 15% off Gap coupons and a chance to win one of five $1,000 Gap gift certificates. While entering the contest, consumers can also opt in to Gap's database to receive future promos.

"Gap sees this as a way to extend our brand," explains Dimitrios Papadogonas, senior brand manager at San Francisco-based Gap, adding that below-the-line promos have become a bigger priority. "We want to build our database and find good customers to build a dialogue with."

Oz Communications is the mobile IM enabler for major mobile operators and portals in Canada and the U.S., including Bell, Telus, Virgin, Cingular, MSN and AOL. Beverly Wilks, manager, marketing and communications at Oz, says: "This Gap promotion will be our first foray into retail."

Papadogonas hopes this will give his brand a "first-mover advantage." If this test goes well, he plans to work with Oz again to build a holiday promo this coming winter.

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