Hotel chain Marriott Rewards has launched a PlusPoints program that rewards loyalty program members 250 points for each Facebook ‘like’ or Twitter ‘follow’.
Under the scheme, sharers also get 25 points for each Facebook share or retweet about Marriott — up to a maximum of 2,000 points every 30 days.
Geotagged Instagram photos about Marriott properties and foursquare check-ins (while they last) are also worth 25 points each.
Rewards members can then redeem their points for things such as $10 Best Buy Gift gift cards (5,000 points), and $15 iTunes gift cards (7,500 points). It would take a ton of points to redeem a hotel stay; members can also redeem points for cruises, car rental and frequent flyer miles, Marriott says.
A study by Kearney on brand performance on Facebook revealed only 5 percent of company-to-consumer posts engaged consumers in discussions; 71 percent were promotional — discount offers, prizes, etc. And, the promotional posts were the most-liked while informative postings were the least effective and drew the fewest comments.
The findings also identified that 89 percent of consumer comments on company Facebook sites went unanswered.
Marriott is now aiming to reposition its loyalty with the “The Mobility Revolution Leading the Way for Brilliant Travel” presentation, as these consumers differ from traditional travelers characterized by their use of mobile devices which is three times greater than any other segment