Working Together - To Improve Public Education
Prominent Honolulu business men and women embrace a new plan, Learning Point Rewards, that could provide local schools with millions of dollars. Look inside to see who makes up this composite image.
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Del.icio.usWhat about the merchants? What’s in it for them?
In a sense, this is a return to redemption stamps as a way to reward customers for repeat business. Remember the days of S&H Green Stamps and Gold Bond Stamps? These trading stamps have been replaced by loyalty rewards offered by credit cards, airlines and grocery stores.
It is big business. Membership in U.S. loyalty rewards programs has reached 1.8 billion, according to 2009 Colloquy Loyalty Census. The total represents a 24 percent increase from 2007.
The average U.S. household has signed up for 14.1 loyalty programs but actively participates in only 6.2 of them.
“Conditions are ripe for marketers to use loyalty data across an enterprise, enhance value propositions and adopt innovative loyalty models such as coalitions to turn engaged members into profitable, loyalty customers,” says Colloquy editorial director Rick Ferguson.
That is exactly what Creditback Inc. has done with Learning Point Rewards, now available in three states: Hawaii, Utah and Nevada.
The education-support component adds a corporate responsibility cache to the program and another dimension to influencing purchases.
The virtual marketing program is simple and seamless for merchants, according to McMahon, who is former director of sales and membership programs for Oahu Publications Inc., publishers of MidWeek and the Star-Bulletin.
“This is a results-based program with measurable results,” he says.
That is music to the ears of retail executives.
The totally computerized data-gathering system at point of sale makes it easy for merchants to record individual points. A control center in Utah manages the data for quick accessibility by the merchants, schools or shopper.
Retailers can get involved for as little as $299, which is a one-time setup fee, and $99.95 per store location. They decide what percentage of each transaction, from 1 percent to 10 percent, to give to the schools and consumers.
“We are not asking consumers to spend more money; just reallocate where they spend,” McMahon suggests. “We realize that people are more conservative than ever today. But wouldn’t you rather buy pizza or get your dry cleaning done where they are willing to give back to education and help our keiki?”
Well, now he’s tugging at our heart strings.
But aloha spirit has a place in economic recovery, according to David Arita, president of American Carpet One.
“We all know times are tough for businesses, government and individuals,” Arita says. “We are all struggling with less. So by sticking together and helping each other out, we may be able to survive and provide for our needs.
“By being involved in a program that benefits the schools, students and families, we feel our participation is fulfilling their needs as well as ours.”
Also supportive of Learning Point Rewards is Scott Mackenzie, vice president for IHOP Hawaii. A restaurant as popular as IHOP has the potential to do upward of 100,000 transactions a month and reach into the ranks of its 70,000 e-mail database.
Getting the word out to schools, both public and private, and to consumers is the main focus as the Learning Point Rewards program is launched this month.
The more cards there are in the marketplace, the more benefit is accrued to all parties involved, particularly budget-restricted schools.
What impact will it have?
Only time will tell. But clearly programs like Learning Point Rewards could change the way people shop.
And that’s one for the books.
AS PICTURED ON THE FRONT COVER:
1, 9: Al Nagasako, Kapolei High principal
2: Scott Mackenzie, IHOP
3: Shyrah Maurer, Roxy
4: Mark Ogata, Midas
5: Yukio Yukawa, McCully Bike
6: Theresa Paulette, Young Laundry
7: Wes Zane, Formaggio
8: David Arita,
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