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SmileCity Voters Enrol

The Electoral Enrolment Centre is using marketing website SmileCity to target non-enrolled voters. The site gives points to members for completing marketing surveys and reading emails. Members have received an e-mail reminding them to enroll to vote and to check that their details are correct.

The Electoral Enrolment Centre paid $10,500 to send the e-mail to nearly 74,000 people. "It's another way of reaching people, especially young people who are techno-savvy and used to responding in this way where they may not post back a letter," says Murray Wicks, the Electoral Enrolment Centre's general manager.

SmileCity has 102,000 members and bills itself as the country's largest virtual community. Web analysis firm Hitwise ranks it as the top loyalty shopping site and between the 20th and 30th most popular sites. Its representative database is on average younger than the country as a whole, since it's meant to reflect only the online population. More than 40 per cent of non-enrolled voters are between 18-24 years old.

The company earns money through permission-based marketing, where users sign up to receive ads and surveys that fit their interest and demographic profile. For example, if someone lists tramping in their profile, they may receive market research surveys testing their willingness to buy new tramping gear. Response is measured by "click-throughs", or how many people who receive an e-mailed link click on it.

"We are the only company around we know of that can guarantee a 25 per cent click-through when we send our members an e-mail," says spokesman Jeff Glazer.

The Electoral Enrolment Centre received more than 13,000 click-throughs and more than 5000 voters enrolled or changed their details. SmileCity is also conducting online elections surveys of its members for TV's Campbell Live.

SmileCity members are given points for completing surveys or reading marketing e-mails, which can be redeemed for goods, cash, or they can donate them to charity. The points can be stored in an "eBank" to accrue virtual interest. One point is roughly equal to one cent.

SmileCity is wholly owned by Australian firm Emailcash, which operates a similar site. Emailcash also has sites in Taiwan and will soon launch in Britain. SmileCity also runs auctions where members can only use points to bid. The Australian site recently auctioned off two cars for A$748 and A$1084.