The Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) Los Angeles Sparks team isn’t just serving up points on the basketball court anymore. It is engaging fans in a new loyalty program that lets game attendees earn points to redeem rewards.
The program, Home Court Advantage, kicked off in early May and has raked in more than 3,000 fans so far. Members earn points by attending home games, back-to-back games and Sparks community events or by referring friends or completing online surveys at LASparks.com . Fans can also score points by approaching the team’s president, Johnny Buss, anytime or anywhere they see him so he can scan their membership cards. Buss, the brain behind the program, also creates random bonuses throughout the season for members to earn points.
At season’s end, the three members with the highest point total will earn up to $5,000 in cash prizes and free season tickets for the 2007 season. Points can be redeemed for L.A. Sparks merchandise, autographed memorabilia and Spark experiences, such as playing the role of coach for a day.
“For the fans, the goal of Home Court Advantage is to give them unparalleled access to merchandise and experiences that are not obtainable by any other means,” said Sparks Spokesman Chris Forrest. “Sparks merchandise like autographed jerseys, shoes, and basketballs from championship years are not things that an everyday fan can easily obtain on their own. Sparks experiences like honorary coach, assistant coach for a day, picture with the Sparks team…provide an incredible experience for our fans.”
Members accrue additional points at such Spark’s events as a beach cleanup, Sparks Pep Rally, WNBA All-Star Viewing Party, Heart of the Game movie premiere, an afternoon at the L.A. Zoo and a Sparks Road Trip to Phoenix, in which 150 members paid to participate.
To target potential season ticket holders, the Sparks created a 50,000-point bonus per seat plan. Home Court Advantage season ticket holders can earn the points by sending an e-mail that identifies themselves and another Home Court Advantage member who is not a season ticket holder. In turn, the non-season ticket holder also receives the bonus points and when the season ends, the Sparks target the fan as a potential season ticket holder.
“Fan loyalty programs are definitely here to stay and increasingly what the fans expect,” Forrest said. “Fans want more, and in a highly competitive market such as Los Angeles, the Sparks must do whatever they can to give that lukewarm fan an extra incentive to buy a ticket or a season ticket plan.”
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