PostPoints rewards readers for reading

Readers of the Washington Post can now opt to join a rewards program called PostPoints. The loyalty scheme rewards readers for reading and interacting with the newspaper, either online or offline. Candy Lee, of United Airlines’ Mileage Plus is the president of Loyalty Services directing the new program.

PostPoints is open to non-subscribers of the paper, although subscribers will have more opportunities to earn points and, depending on their level of subscription, be eligible for exclusive discounts and offers. Over and above their usual involvement with the newspaper, PostPoints can be earned by shopping at a variety of designated stores across the U.S., and around 60 businesses, with more than 1,000 outlets, have signed up so far. Retail partners are limited to Washington Post advertisers, strengthening the relationship between advertisers and consumers.

Other ways in which PostPoints can be earned are by reading the daily Metro column and even for supplying personal profile information such as date of birth, hobbies and reading habits.

"The innovation is in the structural difference of how this approach relates to customers and advertisers,” said Gordon Howard of CVS/pharmacy, a PostPoints partner with over 300 stores in the D.C. area. “It's a new dialogue based on community ties and trust.”

PostPoints differs from similar loyalty schemes in that it doesn’t require the use of a credit card and has an interesting twist whereby points can be earned by volunteering for charitable organizations, such as giving blood or participating in fundraising events such as fun runs.

Tags: advertising, loyalty marketing, PostPoints, reward program, Washington Post