Chicken wing restaurant Wingstop is innovating social media marketing with a live auction on Periscope where winners are determined by how many times they tap the heart button.

The restaurant brand is taking a different direction with live streaming capabilities by giving away prizes to the most engaged viewers on a Periscope stream. The live stream is happening today in an attempt to drive customers in-store for free wings.

“Wingstop is launching the world’s first heart-to-win live auction on Periscope to celebrate our fans and National Chicken Wing Day,” said Flynn Dekker, chief marketing officer at Wingstop. “We are hacking the system and using the Periscope channel in a way that’s never been done before.

“We are turning hearts into currency for the very first time and redefining how brands engage and interact with fans on social media,” he said. “As a company, we are looking to break new ground with this first-ever social auction as we continue to demonstrate how Wingstop innovates in the social arena.”

Wingstop mobile innovation
Thump by Wingstop is an innovative marketing campaign that is forcing viewers to become involved in a live stream in order to win prizes. Today, the retailer is streaming an auction live on Periscope in which it will be giving away various prizes.

The user that presses the heart button, what Wingstop is calling thump, the most will receive whatever prize it is giving away at that time. For instance, one live stream will feature a pair of Nikes, and the user watching that thumps the heart button the highest number of times will receive the shoes.

Wingstop is giving away a wide range of prizes likely to garner a lot of attention, such as custom Nike shoes and a Beach Cruise bicycle as well as concert and ticket vouchers. Users do not need money to win an item, just fast fingers.

The retailer is hoping to drive awareness for its lunchtime giveaway today for National Chicken Wing Day. Wingstop is giving away five free wings with any wing purchase for a limited time to celebrate.

Mobile messaging and streaming
The restaurant is one of many retailers taking to Periscope and live streaming to help build commerce engagements and sales. For instance, following Target’s recent success with its Lilly Pulitzer collaboration through mobile and digital, the retailer upped the ante with a live-stream event on Periscope to drive sales for its designer partnership with jeweler Eddie Borgo (see more).

Wingstop is significantly valuing mobile tactics by joining conversational commerce as another retailer to introduce an ordering option through Twitter and Facebook Messenger, bringing its products to where consumers are spending time (see more).

“The goal with this promotion and live auction is really about engagement, although it also gives us a platform to promote our brand and our newly launched Wing Shop retail Web site as well as drive guests and fans to our restaurants across the U.S. for National Chicken Wing Day and beyond,” Mr. Dekker said.