AS ONE OF CAPITALISM’S most recognizable icons gone soft? In a new Radisson Hotels promotion, for every three visits, Rich Uncle Pennybags hands the chain’s Gold Rewards loyalty program members 20,000 bonus points – good for a free two-night stay. (Successive nights in a hotel count as a single stay.)
Rich Uncle Pennybags (a.k.a. the Monopoly Man) is a key motif of the chain’s current frequent-guest campaign. He’s featured on guest-point statements in settings such as a beach, for California program members; or golfing, if the guest is likely to stay at a Florida resort. While Radisson is not allowed to generate new drawings of Pennybags, Monopoly maker Hasbro gave the chain permission to set stock images of him in a variety of surroundings.
But his image isn’t the only icon from the board game used in Radisson’s promotion. Shortly after program enrollees complete a stay of any length, they automatically receive a “trigger postcard” from Radisson with two red hotels on an outer envelope, and a message inside stating that they need only two more stays to earn a free two-night certificate.
The next postcard, after a subsequent visit, features only one red hotel, and the card guests receive after their third stay has no red hotels – they’re replaced with a congratulatory message.
All 300,000 active enrollees on Radisson’s 1.1 million-member file (those who have interacted with a Radisson property or one of its network partners within the past year) received a notification at the beginning of the promotion. An additional 500,000 who haven’t been active received a note showing Uncle Pennybags racing by three hotels, urging them to stay at the chain.
Two weeks into the campaign, more than 100 guests had received coupons for a free night’s stay.
The program started Sept. 5. It runs through Dec. 31.
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