by Tatiana Repkova

Corporate loyalty programs have been around for more than 20 years – one of the first big ones being American Airlines Advantage Program – but newspapers have been slow to catch on.

The Washington Post online site is now joining the loyalty circus, and has taken on the former head of United Airlines' loyalty program to run it. The idea is simple – when readers click on an article on the Post's Web site, they can earn PostPoints that can be redeemed for merchandise. However, most of the merchandise has to be picked up from local Washington D.C. shops, which poses a problem for readers outside the D.C. area. Local retailers like the idea, too. To join the program, retailers must be a Post print advertiser. The Post had a demand so large, they actually had to turn away merchants for the launch.

The Post will be using the click-throughs to see which stories generate the most interest. Another example of rewards include free movie tickets.For example, a reader who always clicks on movie reviews could get an e-mail from the Post's movie reviewer offering free tickets to a screening.

Of course, people could click on stories just to get points, a problem the Post will need to work out.

http://www.followthemedia.com/tickle/ticklefile09042007.htm#10; April 13, 2007