Huge Popularity of MyCoke Rewards Pushes Extension of Program
MyCoke Rewards has extended the expiration date for the program due to its overwhelming popularity.
Since the program’s launch in February, close to 3 million people have registered to join. Under the extended program, points earned through purchases of Cola-Cola products this year will be good through 2007. To date, rewards members have entered more than 60 million codes and have redeemed more than 100 million points.
The popular program surpassed its one-millionth reward—up from 300,000 in July—and yesterday kicked off a holiday promotion. Beginning Nov. 19, specials codes worth 10 rewards points will be available through print ads, select Web sites, viral e-mails, Coca-Cola-branded holiday e-cards and inserts in Blockbuster DVD rentals. More than 20 million complimentary points are up for grabs. One player will win a grand prize of 100,000 reward points. As of yesterday, Coke said it distributed 1,105,387 rewards to date.
Over the holidays, new season rewards are also being offered, including limited edition reproductions of original Haddon Sunblom paintings of the Coca-Cola Santa, plush Coca-Cola polar bears and a variety of holiday ornaments.
To participate in the loyalty program, consumers register on MyCokeRewards.com then collect codes from under bottle caps and packaging across the entire Coke portfolio to bank online and redeem for rewards that range from magazine subscriptions to cruises for two.
Despite the success of the 10-month-old program, it has not been without its glitches.
Over the summer, Chat boards and message boards buzzed about problems with point values, disappearing prizes, wish lists and expiration dates, some even referring to the program as “My Coke Rewards Scam” (PROMO Xtra, July 19, 2006).
And in August, a weight-loss instructor who had filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola claiming that the My Coke Rewards program might prompt kids to drink so much soda that they could die or at the very least become obese, dropped the suit (PROMO Xtra, Aug. 8, 2006).
