Assistant Editor's Note: The following Jet Blue press release is published here as an example of a social media and mobile device promotion undertaken by a member of the travel industry. AdventureTravelNews is currently publishing such examples so our readership can stay on top of current market trends, creative promotional ideas and cross-platform initiatives.
New York, NY -PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways unveils Go Places on Facebook, a unique application that rewards customers with TrueBlue points and special discounts so they can earn free trips faster. Customers will be able to rack up points and deals starting today and up to March 1, 2011. This is the first of many customer-driven promotions that JetBlue has planned for 2011 on Facebook Places.
To participate in Go Places, TrueBlue members must first register at www.facebook.com/jetblue and grant permissions for the application. Customers can learn more about TrueBlue, JetBlue's customer loyalty program, and enroll for free at www.jetblue.com/trueblue.
For each check-in at an official JetBlue airport location via Facebook Places, 25 TrueBlue points will be awarded. Customers who tag a friend they're traveling with will also unlock a special badge. Furthermore, the first 100 customers to check in at Boston's Logan International, Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Long Beach, New York's John F. Kennedy International or Orlando International airport locations will receive 100 TrueBlue points.
"We know our customers like to stay connected with their friends and keep 'tabs' on them," said David Canty, director of loyalty marketing at JetBlue. "With this unique new promotion not only will they be able to, they will also be rewarded for it with TrueBlue points and other great offers!"
[caption id="attachment_6082" align="pull-left" width="268" caption="The Go Places ad on JetBlue's official Facebook page, with over 470,000 fans."]
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Go Places is the first location-based social media application to provide incremental airline reward points to customers for check-ins exclusively through Facebook Places. Unlike many apps, Go Places will allow JetBlue customers to earn real rewards because it is directly tied to the TrueBlue loyalty program. Additionally, people can simply check-in with their mobile phone using the Facebook mobile application and Go Places will automatically deliver virtual badges and credit their TrueBlue points. There is no need to download a separate mobile application. JetBlue is the first airline to standardize official place Pages for their terminals enabling people to check-in and share their travel plans virtually with friends, proudly displaying unique Go Places badges unlocked on their adventures.
"We're excited to help JetBlue pioneer this technology and develop an application that directly links evangelistic behavior with real rewards and offers," said Jamie Tedford, CEO at Brand Networks. "Many companies are talking about 'social CRM'; JetBlue is actually delivering it to their loyal and frequent customers."
JetBlue's Go Places application is powered by "GO," Brand Networks' new promotions platform leveraging Facebook Places. GO is the newest offering from Brand Networks, a leading Social Solutions company and Facebook Preferred Developer Consultant. GO enables brand marketers to deliver customized location-based promotions leveraging Facebook Places.