Red Jacket Resorts has created a mobile rewards club for guests that it is promoting via a multichannel effort.

Triad, the resorts? advertising and idea agency, created the Red Jacket Marquee Club to provide exclusive specials and perks for members only. To join the Marquee Club, guests need to opt-in to the program by texting the keyword FUNAWAY to short code 89800.

?People need to feel like they?re getting something special to join a loyalty club, and when you?re entering their personal space with a text, you better make sure you have something important to say,? said Ben Sandman, idea coordinator at Triad Advertising, Canton, MA.

Red Jackets Resorts has four family resorts on private beaches, one on a golf course on Cape Cod and two in the mountains of North Conway, NH.

KaOoga is powering the mobile club.

"We could not be more thrilled to be working with Triad Advertising & Red Jacket Resorts," said Dave Everett, CEO of Kaooga, Boston. "The very first week of promoting mobile last year they had an extraordinary number of signups so we knew this was something their customers really wanted.

"I'm encouraged by their commitment through the winter and push into this 2010 spring season," he said. "With a growing database and low opt out rate, Red Jacket will be able to count on their mobile program as an avenue to generate more business."

After creating a club that people would want to join, the next step was promoting it.

Triad helped Red Jacket achieve this through many different media outlets, from email blasts to the resort?s database and Boston radio listener club databases, to online ads, direct mail, Facebook fan pages and sign-up cards presented to guests at checkout.

Every advertising and marketing effort has a call to action to join the Red Jacket Marquee Club.

Here is a screen grab of online banners promoting the mobile club:

Here is a screen grab of an email blast to the resort?s database:

In addition to offering specials, Red Jacket has also used texting to run contests during events at the resorts and also on Facebook.

Since the Marquee Club began, Red Jacket is averaging over 100 new members a month.

The resorts have enjoyed an increase in bookings, from members who appreciate the exclusive offers they receive, right at their fingertips.   

Why SMS?
Text messaging is the primary form of communication for people ages 13-34. In fact, 86 percent of the population 13 and up own a mobile phone, per comScore.

Ninety-five percent of existing mobile contracts have SMS built into the agreement and more than 90 percent of text messages are opened and read compared to less than 40 percent of all email solicitations.

So it is not surprise that Stowe Mountain Resort is banking on SMS for customer outreach.

"Stowe is ahead of the curve- especially when it comes to mobile,? said Dave Everett, CEO of Kaooga, Boston.

?Using text messaging, Red Jacket Resorts can reach consumers who have opted into the club anytime they want,? Mr. Sandman said. ?It is a quick and personal way to get a message to someone who has expressed an interest in the Resorts.

?Best of all, it is easy to know exactly how many people the message is reaching,? he said. ?And it works.?