Curt Doolittle from MediaPost submitted an interesting concept recently that I think has some merit for properties looking at or starting Rewards Programs, it was all about "Recreating Marketing"...
"Here is one strategy you should consider: Split your budget in half -- one half for creating awareness using traditional media and one half for creating customer loyalty on the web.
Traditional media has reach, but distribution is very expensive. It's great for awareness, but it's very difficult to speak to large numbers of people and to say anything meaningful. That's why most ads are absurd or ironic today; it's the only thing large numbers of consumers can relate to. It's all they have in common. However, irony doesn't build loyalty. It only lasts until the next ironic ad comes along."
The stations I work with in Burley/Twin Falls, Idaho are Beta Testing the Rewards Program that has been such a success for Greenlink Networks at Television Large-Market properties in our small radio market. The program is all about building loyalty and localism and has met with success as we take it to our clients. We will officially launch our site on the first of June and our listeners and clients are already building excitement about the program.
If you are not familiar with Greenlink Networks, their system allows your listeners to join the Rewards Program, register their Visa, Mastercard, or Discover Cards as their membership card, and sell points to your clients who in turn reward points to your listeners for every dollar spent. The program is unique in that it measures and tracks every dollar spent in the program and delivers an incredible Return On Investment with transparancy of every transaction.