To show appreciation to its Best Western Rewards (BWR) members in honor of the loyalty program’s 25th anniversary, Best Western plans to offer 25 weeks of exciting promotions and giveaways that run through October.
The 25th Anniversary promotions for 25 weeks include:
25-year members will be awarded Diamond for Life membership status – the program’s highest Elite tier. As a Diamond for Life member, they’ll automatically receive 30% bonus points on all future qualifying stays, either 250 bonus points or a snack and beverage for each stay, a free room upgrade when available and many other exciting Elite-only offers.
250,000 bonus points will be awarded to five lucky Elite members who qualify for the program’s “Jump Start to Summer” promotion (April 22 – June 9).
25 Weeks of Giveaways (April through October): Each day, for 25 weeks (175 days), one randomly selected Elite member will receive a $25 Best Western Travel Card, as an appreciation for his or her loyalty.
25-year themed social media promotions will occur throughout the 25 weeks and will offer Twitter and Facebook fans opportunities to win prizes, including $250 Travel Cards.
Tammy Lucas, Managing Director, Marketing, for Best Western told Loyalty 360 that many options were discussed in the past six months to engage members with a special emphasis on elite members and the company’s social media community.
“BWR program membership has grown tremendously in recent years and not all of our members are aware of the program’s rich history,” Lucas said. “In the end, we wanted to make sure the promotions offered fun and surprising elements, and we also wanted to educate new members about the program.”
Best Western’s “Stay With People Who Care” advertising campaign also launched this year, placing great emphasis on superior customer care.
“The 25th anniversary promotions were a way to bring more value to our loyalty program members while amplifying the message of the brand campaign,” Lucas said. “Our program is stronger than ever because of their support, and we do not take that for granted. We try to see the world through the customer’s lens, and we respond to their feedback.”
Lucas said Best Western launched the “Status Match...No Catch” program years ago in response to customers who were frustrated with other brands, but didn’t want to lose their Elite status. Also, the Reward It Forward program launched last year to empower BWR members to give bonus points directly to staff who provide exceptional service.
“Members should know their input matters to us,” Lucas said. “Our goal is to create the customer mindset that BWR is the loyalty program that cares. BWR is a vital part of Best Western’s marketing strategy, and the 25th anniversary promotions signal that we expect BWR to grow increasingly more important over the next 25 years.”
The 25th anniversary promotions reward stay loyalty and increase the number of first-time customers at a Best Western hotel.
“Giving our 25-year members Diamond for Life status, our highest elite tier, demonstrates our lifelong commitment to them,” Lucas said. “We are investing in our Elite member relationships and in our seasonal promotions by adding richer layers and awards. We also structured this campaign to last for 25 weeks, which gives us the opportunity to engage customers not already enrolled.”
Everyone at Best Western is focused on delivering superior customer care, Lucas said.
“It’s a central focus that permeates the culture of our organization because we want to earn customer loyalty through superior care,” she said. “BWR members provide the strongest loyalty to our brand, and focusing on providing them a better experience has been front and center in our strategy for a long time. Over the past 10 years, the BWR revenue contribution to Best Western has grown significantly, and that’s a testament to this customer focus. Making Best Western relevant by engaging customers is critical.”