Who doesn’t love coffee? It’s even better when it’s free and you can order from your phone. That was the premise of a promotional offer that Dunkin’ had made to coffee lovers everywhere on March 1. The company announced on Twitter that if you downloaded the Dunkin’ mobile app and used the promo code WINTERWARRIOR23, you’d get a free coffee.
All good, right? The problem is Dunkin’ advertised that the promotion would last a week, but by March 2, when users downloaded the app and used the promo code, they were greeted with an error that said that the maximum limit of the code has been reached. The official Dunkin’ Twitter account replied that “This promotion code was available in a limited quantity which has been reached. Be on the lookout for more offers coming soon!”
It was a reply that coffee lovers on Twitter did not take kindly to. While Dunkin’s original tweet stated “while supplies last,” Twitter users were quick to point out that Dunkin’ makes each cup of coffee in-store—not in some far-away factory.
Other’s pointed out that Dunkin advertised on television the promo would run until March 7.
And still others accused the company of a bait and switch—that is, tempting people with free coffee in an effort to increase downloads and engagement with the Dunkin’ smartphone app.
We’ve reached out to Dunkin’ to ask for comment on the negative reaction to the campaign and if the company be offering people a new code. We’ll update this post if we hear back. Until then, Dunkin’ may have caused more harm than good to its brand—at least in the short term. Some coffee drinkers were quick to point out on Twitter that there is no shortage of places to buy a cup of Joe.
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