TribalWorks

Recent changesto the mycokerewards.com Internet loyalty program seem to suggest that Coke is shifting its focus to acquiring new consumers instead of doing what its original intent was - to reward loyal consumers.  Several people are disappointed with the changes because they have been saving up points for large prizes such as a TV.

Some members of the My Coke Rewards program complain that they have amassed hundreds of bottle-cap codes in exchange for points, only to have some of the expensive items that they have been saving for become suddenly unavailable.

Eric Bellville, a 20-year-old lifeguard in Clermont, Fla., has collected about 6,000 points (that’s around 2,000 standard Coke caps). Instead of being able to get some of the most expensive items by using his points, he is now only able to enter a sweepstakes to win them.

“I don’t like the change with the system,” Mr. Bellville wrote in an e-mail message. “It seems that Coke is being a bit misleading, because now it is much harder to get higher value prizes.”

A high-definition television, for example, was once available for some 20,000 points. Because people can enter only 10 codes a day online, it would have taken about two years of nonstop participation to win the television. Now, members can still win the TV, but only three points are required to enter the drawing.

By making it easier to get the aspirational prizes, Coke may entice more people to sign up.  However, this may come at a risk of turning off their most loyal and passionate brand cheerleaders.  It will be interesting to see over the coming weeks the reaction among the members at large.