Loyalty programs
Posted by Joël on July 10, 2006
Dear Joel
I have just been recently appointed chief operations officer for a premier soccer league in a certain country. I need help in coming up with a loyalty program to encourage people to watch the games as well as use the sponsor’s product.
Thanks for the question. While sports promotions are not my field of expertise, I’ll certainly attempt to guide you in the right direction.
One option would be to create a point-system whereby participants are awarded points based on attending games or purchasing specific products. For example, I’m personally a big fan of the ‘Diamondbacks MVP Rewards Program’, a loyalty program offered by the Arizona Diamondbacks, a Major League Baseball team. The program is structured such that participants accumulate points based on every dollar spent on game tickets and on purchases from participating sponsors (both online and at retail locations). These points are accumulated and can then be redeemed for rewards as simple as team hats and jerseys or as elaborate as sitting in the press box for an inning or even throwing out the first pitch of a baseball game.
With this set-up, season-ticket holders automatically accumulate more points by virtue of spending more money on tickets. However, even single-game ticket buyers are eligible for the program. The more games they attend, the more points they get and the more attractive prize they become eligible for.
You can check it out here: http://mvp.diamondbacks.com
