UNC fans buy into rewards program

ROBBI PICKERAL, Staff Writer, The News & Observer

August 1st, 2006

You've heard of frequent-flier programs.

The University of North Carolina hopes you'll soon become a frequent-buyer.

In hopes of bringing in a new stream of revenue, UNC has launched a frequent-flier kind of points-accumulation program that will be copied by at least a dozen more athletics departments this fall.

The program, called "Tar Heel Rewards," allows UNC faithful to rack up credits by shopping at their favorite Internet sites. Then, they can redeem them for everything from T-shirts (1,750 points), to a behind-the-scenes look at a men's basketball practice (10,000 points), to a five-day stay at Carolina lacrosse camp (50,000 points).

The brainchild of Pennsylvania-based KnowledgeFlow Inc., the program was launched about three months ago at tarheelrewards.com. About 3,000 people already have joined.

"This really offers fans priceless opportunities -- trips with teams, afternoons at practices, lunches with coaches -- that they really can't get anywhere else ... except if they're a big donor," said Maureen Buck, the vice president for business development at KnowledgeFlow.

Fans earn rewards by downloading a program featuring an "alert panel" that slides onto the computer screen every time a member browses the site of a participating partner. Fans also can shop through an online mall. There is no fee to join, and members can earn up to 15 points per dollar spent.

Advertisers pay cost-per-click fees every time a Tar Heel Rewards member clicks on an offer from an affiliated online site. Advertisers also pay a cost-per-acquisition fee every time a member buys something from those online stores, which include Target, eBay, Expedia and Best Buy.

KnowledgeFlow and UNC's athletics department share that money.

Initially, Carolina stands to make several thousand dollars a year, said Gary Sobba, general manager of Tar Heel Sports Marketing. But, "long-term, it could be significant,'' he said. "What's significant? We could be well into six figures."

By next year, KnowledgeFlow hopes to have similar rewards programs established at more than 60 universities, including East Carolina and Wake Forest. N.C. State and Duke aren't on the list for now, Buck said, because her company first targeted universities affiliated with ISP Sports and Learfield Communications. But she said she hopes both Triangle schools will be involved in the future.

Staff writer Robbi Pickeral can be reached at 829-8944 or pickeral@newsobserver.com