As web sites become the communications hub between a company and people who use its products and services, getting your best users to register is becoming more and more important. The database you develop can then be used to lower the cost of  communications or to research customer preferences. In a recent issue of the New York Times, Stuart Elliott discusses two recent promotions which are designed to increase usage, but also to capture data about the users of daytime soaps and Coca-Cola.

NY Times: To Bolster Audience, Soaps Turn to the Web – New York Times by Stuart Elliott

To help reverse a long-term decline in the ratings for the two soaps that Procter still produces, "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light," the company will sponsor a watch-and-win loyalty rewards program under the name Daytime Dollars. …

The promotion is emblematic of two trends that are remaking the way marketers like Procter seek closer connections with fickle and elusive consumers.
One trend is the growth of loyalty promotions,… like My Coke Rewards, a program from Coca-Cola allowing consumers to collect points redeemable for prizes valued at more than $50 million.

The other trend is the increasing use of new media by packaged-goods marketers like Procter to augment a longtime reliance on media like TV. For example, consumers will be able to manage My Coke Rewards accounts on the Web (mycokerewards.com), and the two Procter soap operas are available as audio podcasts at cbs.com/netcast.