Sometimes I feel like a cheerleader for silent movies. Not matter what I say about the glories of newspapers that medium like silent movies before it is going to have to evolve or die. The Washington Post is feeling the pain of declining offline readership and has decided to focus on its current readers and reward their loyalty with a points program called cleverly PostPoints. Here are a few of the highlights from a MediaPost post today.
Readers register at WashingtonPost.com, then earn points for reading the paper, interacting on its Web site (posting a review, for example), volunteering with a designated non-profit or shopping at partner retailers including CVS/pharmacy, Giant Foods, Lord & Taylor, and Papa Johnâ€
The program launches with 60 businesses as partners, with a total of 1,000-plus stores in the DC area. Readers get 1,000 points when they register. They also get invitations to special events such as movie screenings and meet-and-greets with Post writers, and discounts and giveaways from newspaper advertisers.
Points are accrued and tracked online; readers can access their account to check and redeem points. Rewards are mailed to membersâ€
Perhaps the most interesting part of this announcement is the Post’s statement about its role in the DC area:
“The Post has long been the primary connecting force for the Washington region, and PostPoints is an innovative way to increase the power of this connection. Weâ€
While hardly an original idea, the PostPoints program does qualify as Marketing for Good. It is an attempt to turn marketing into a service, a service that enchances the value of reading the Post and advertising in it. The program also has a modest good will component by which readers can earn PostPoints if they volunteer with “designated non-profits”. It also helps encourage the migration of offline readers into online ones by requiring them to go to the website to register. I hope it works and that I can write another post next year about the Posts renewed success.