With circulation of newspapers trending downward, locak papers are forced to examine their business models and come up with methods of increasing repeat business, as well as keeping those already subscribing customers interested in what the Paper’s doing. Lately, the Post’s attempt at doing something unique and interesting with the concept of affinity program has been more widely marketed, with local TV and Radio spots, amongst other methods. If you’re a subscriber, and you sign up, you get reward points for each paper you buy.
But here’s the thing, it’s a losing proposition. If you sign up, you get around 1,000 or so points. Assume for a moment you’re an irregular reader. Each paper you buy is 5 points. The rewards tend to start around 7,000 or so points for a $25 gift certificate to a place like Williams Sonoma. Airplane tickets? A cruise? 150,000 points plus.
So, are Points the answer to keeping everyone? I’m not so sure, not with the long lead times on rewards.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
