Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a 600-unit chain operating in 42 states that is “known for providing a friendly home away from home atmosphere in our old country store and restaurant.”

Despite its old-style offerings, Cracker Barrel is clearly a modern retailer that has a good grasp of technology and social media.

In summer 2012, it ran a special promotion with two basic goals: to build its customer data base and to stimulate customer interest in the chain. As described by Patricia O’Dell in Promo: “The ‘All-American Summer Spin N’ Win Sweepstakes’ featured a dedicated Web site. Anyone registering automatically got five wheel spins as an incentive to encourage game play”, thus enabling “Cracker Barrel to build its consumer database. And, players, who agreed to receive marketing E-mails earned a $5 digital gift card and some additional wheel spins. In stores, people could use their wireless device to scan a code on promotional materials that was then entered at the site.”

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