Update on Upper Deck Rewards Program

In April, as reported here, the Upper Deck sports trading card company started a new rewards program: Upper Deck Kids.

2006 Upper Deck cards contained a code that could be entered online for points, which could then be redeemed for a variety of prizes including iTunes downloads, sports-themed wallpapers, wall decals, or even an Xbox.

Both Upper Deck and their competitor Topps had initiatives this year to bring kids back into the hobby of collecting sports cards. (Topps partnered with SI for Kids to include cards in their magazines, and they provided cards in the packaging of several sports related video games.) Upper Deck hyped its rewards program through 10 weeks of ads on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon

Did it work? You betcha. According to a press release here, a market research study showed that 28% of 8-11 year old boys collected sports cards this year, versus just 9% last year. There was a similar increase in card collecting among 12-15 year old boys.

The press release says that Upper Deck Kids currently has 120,000 members, and that they've logged in codes from 12 million cards. Kerri Stockholm, Senior Sports Marketing Manager for Upper Deck: "We knew 2006 would be a pivotal year for our kids sports card marketing initiatives. We needed to build programs that would engage youngsters and keep them actively purchasing and collecting...we have hit our goals - but the work is not finished. Upper Deck is dedicated to keeping the momentum going and continuing to bring new collectors into the category."

Upper Deck Kids Rewards is open to all residents of the U.S. and Canada (except Quebec) -- parental consent is required for kids under 13.