Washington Post Bows Reward Program Today
The Washington Post is out to make a point—lots of points, in fact.
The newspaper today launches a loyalty program offering readers “PostPoints” they can redeem for a wide range of rewards, from free pizza and gift cards to kitchen appliances, international travel and tickets to exclusive sporting events.
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 John’s Pizza.
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 newspaperadvertisers.
To earn points at retail, members show their PostPoints membership card (which fits on a key chain) at checkout. A column will run each day in the paper’s Metro section outlining ways to earn PostPoints.
Points are accrued and tracked online; readers can access their account to check and redeem points. Rewards are mailed to members’ homes. Post subscribers get additional benefits, including fashion events, a sneak peek at columnists’ upcoming work and special access to the newspaper’s archives.
The program rewards regular readers, but more importantly, it reinforces The Post’s role in bringing marketers and consumers together.
“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. We’re very excited about the potential of this program to enhance our longstanding role as the primary marketplace for Washington area businesses, consumers and community,” said Steve Hills, The Post’s president and general manager, in a statement.
