Upper Deck Taps Kids in First Reward Program

Upper Deck targets kids with first
rewards program using MLB trading cards

The Upper Deck Co., a trading card company, has launched its first rewards program for kids. The program gives kids points for cards purchased in the company's Major League Baseball line of products.

When kids buy packs of 2006 Upper Deck Baseball products, they can register the four-digit codes found on the back of each card at Upperdeckkids.com. Kids are then given a randomly determined point, which they can use to redeem items such as video games, iTunes songs, movie passes and autographed memorabilia. Reward points per card vary, starting at 50 and going as high as 250, with an average of 75 points per card. The starting prize redemption for the program is 1,000 points.

In addition, every card entered is an entry into a sweepstakes to win the reward program's grand prize: a private clinic with all-star shortstop Derek Jeter.

"We think that kids are really our biggest growth opportunity," said Kerri Stockholm, senior sports marketing manager at Upper Deck. "The reality of the market is that the majority of users are adult collectors and we know that with kids not becoming involved, we're losing out on collectors of tomorrow. This program helps ensure the longevity of our category."

Each card in every baseball set—from the company's $2.99-a-pack UD Series 1 to the 99 cent First Pitch—will be a part of the rewards program. The company has 20 MLB sets.

"We've already rewarded hundreds of thousands of points so a lot of consumers are using them," Stockholm said of the program, which launched last month.

Carlsbad, CA-based Upper Deck decided to use its MLB product line of cards based on research that showed that kids have an affinity for the league's athletes. For now, the company plans to expand the program to its NFL, NBA and NHL product lines throughout the year and could possibly expand it to include the company's entertainment-related trading card lines, Stockholm said.

TV ads on the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, print ads in SI For Kids and in-stadium promotions tied to 15 MLB teams support.

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