Does Membership have its privledges?

Last week, in the mail, I received something quite interesting. A pretty typical CD mailer, maybe 5x5. Nothing spectacular from all outward indications; generic white with my address on a little printed label, but it felt a big weighty. Curious, I opened it anticipating I would find a CD with some software they I just couldn't live without. Much to my surprise, I found a beautiful little mailer, a little die cut bee design with a "snot dot" holding the mailer closed. As I opened the piece, I noticed it was a beautiful duplex stock, with gold foil printing. Ah, the Patron (tequila) Social Club sent me a beautiful little silver keychain, held in by a green ribbon, the same ribbon found with its arms wrapped around the neck of a bottle of Partron Silver Tequila. The inscription on the card reads:

Thank you for contributing to the Patron Social Club.

As a member we hold in high esteem, we've sent you a little something extra. Exclusive benefits may be attached so be sure to hang on to it. We look forward to hearing from you, both on the site and in the clubs. Stay social.

Partonsocialclub.com


Beautiful, and man do I feel special now, due to the being held in high esteem and all. So what is this all about. A month or so ago, I had found online on some list of "cool sites" the Patron Social club, so I decided to check it out. I signed up and kind of snooped around the site for a while, pretty cool indeed. Complete with a little bartender who stands there and talks to you, welcoming you to the club. A significant consumer of Patron Silver, not quite, however I do find it quite enjoyable, but just a tad out of my regular budget for liquor consumption. Someday, perhaps.

So, what about it, it brought back memories of a presentation that a friend of mine and I gave presentation to college leadership group on marketing your organization. One of the key points was to create "exclusivity" for members. Make they feel privileged to be a part of the group, and offer benefits only available to those who are members. This accomplishes just that.

Are there other companies out there doing the same kind of thing? Tons, and some of the smarter ones too. You see more and more social environments being created, Facebook and Myspace being two, but the number of big businesses creating these social environments grows richer every day. Why? Loyalty and sticky content. Sticky content for their website. It keeps you there, keeps you coming back over and over again. Coke does it, with their mini me environment where my little avatar can probably be found hovering under the table rocking in the fetal position due to lack of attention. But for some, this is their alternate life.

Another company that does this well is Webkinz. Having two girls 9 and 11, Webkinz are the center of their vitrual world....aka...social life. First you purchase a stuffed animal which comes with a "special code" which you go to the site and log into. Now, you have this virtual pet matching the one you are holding in your hand. You play games, get jobs, earn Webkins cash and then you buy your pet things. I posess, too few digits to count the number of times I have seen a bright shiny face busting with excitement proclaiming they have purchased a new "bed" or "room" for their virtual pet.

It isn't all bad, they are learning, reading, and developing computer skills, but at what cost? Maybe their "real" social skills? Who knows.

So, what are my "exclusive benefits" of the Patron Social Club? I guess we will just have to wait and see. For now, I will just sit and admire a well done print piece and a the marketing genius behind it.