It's The Amazing Race Delta-online-stye! On August 6th, Delta's (NYSE: DAL) new online marketing campaign, SiteSeer Challenge will kick off.
SiteSeer Challenge will feature five 2-person teams traveling to four different international locations and competing in destination-related challenges as part of a treasure hunt. The hunt will be broadcast as an online reality TV show. Members of Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles can watch the online reality show and earn bonus miles by casting votes for their favorite teams. Teams with the fewest votes will be eliminated, and the remaining teams will travel to the next surprise destination. 
The last team standing will win 1 million SkyMiles, a travel package and 400,000 Hilton HHonors points. Delta SkyMiles members who cast votes will receive 250 bonus miles for each vote they cast and an additional 1,000 miles if they vote in all four rounds for a possible total of 2,000 bonus miles.
Delta plans to advertise the SiteSeer Challenge through banner ads on AOL and other key websites as well as through ads on the Delta homepage and emails to its SkyMiles members. American Express (NYSE: AXP) will join the promotion by offering double SkyMiles to American Express cardholders who book a Delta flight to be taken before September 30th.
What do you think of this promotion? Delta claims it will give internet users an opportunity to see destinations throughout the world. As airlines are pushing more planes to the more profitable and less-crowded international market, I can understand Delta's desire to increase awareness and interest in international destinations, but I'm not sure I completely understand what they hope to gain from SiteSeer Challenge. In fact, 2,000 bonus miles for SkyMiles members who cast a vote in all rounds of the challenge is not much incentive. I can't imagine it will provide a huge return on investment. What do you think? Am I just missing something?
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