WebMiles will launch a member-acquisition effort in August at 200 shopping malls nationwide.
“We are rewarding people for everyday behavior,” said Jeff Crapo, founder and vice president of business development at WebMiles Inc., Sandy, UT. “The best point of contact is getting to consumers where they are shopping.”
Shoppers will be able to sign up with WebMiles using Internet-based kiosks from CenterlinQ — a division of GenesisIntermedia.com, Van Nuys, CA — that already are located in the malls. The kiosks, which are located in high-traffic areas such as food courts, will advertise the WebMiles program and provide account information, including where they earned miles and the amount available. Shoppers also will be able to sign up for the program at the malls' customer-service centers or at www.webmiles.com.
WebMiles will market the program through opt-in e-mail newsletters to its 1 million members and to an unspecified number of subscribers to CenterlinQ's e-mail updates. The e-mails, which will go out in early August, will notify consumers about malls that offer the kiosks and will direct them to the WebMiles site or the malls to sign up. Also, the company will send periodic e-mails alerting members to weekly and daily promotions at the malls.
WebMiles targets an equal split of males and females earning at least $50,000 annually, Crapo said. WebMiles is launching this program in higher-end shopping malls, which have substantial budgets to support kiosk services, he said.
“The higher an individual's income, the more skewed they are toward travel-related rewards,” he said.
