• by Tanya Gazdik , January 10, 2011

MGM Resorts International is launching a loyalty program with personalized rewards and an aspirational, tiered approach.

The program, called M life, is geared toward visitors of the company's 15 resorts in Las Vegas, Mississippi and Detroit locations. M life is launching as a casino rewards club, and later this year will expand into a full loyalty program recognizing guest spend on hotel stays, shopping and dining.

The program covers ARIA, Bellagio, Vdara, MGM Grand, The Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur in Las Vegas; Beau Rivage and Gold Strike in Mississippi; and MGM Grand Detroit.

Where there was formerly a culture of competition among the sister properties, with some of them having their own singular loyalty programs, M life will become the umbrella brand across all properties, says Bill Hornbuckle, chief marketing officer of MGM Resorts.

"M life was created as a way for our guests to enjoy the world-class amenities at our peerless properties with the ease of carrying only one card," Hornbuckle tells Marketing Daily. "From a gaming perspective, the new tiers provide our guests with something to aspire to as they enjoy the rewards and benefits at each level."

M life members can earn unique experiences, including selecting The Fountains of Bellagio songs for a day, enjoying a cameo role in Cirque du Soleil's Viva ELVIS at ARIA Resort & Casino, serving as a guest DJ at one of Vegas' hottest clubs at MGM Grand, becoming a dolphin trainer for a day at The Mirage, cooking lessons with Bravo's Top Chef Masters celebrity chef Rick Moonen at Mandalay Bay or receiving one-on-one dance lessons with world-famous Jabbawockeez at Monte Carlo.

The program uses proprietary analytical technology that tracks consumer preferences to create individualized rewards that are meaningful to members. For example, if someone attends a Madonna concert, they may receive an offer to Lady Gaga while a George Strait concertgoer may receive an invite to the Country Music Awards at MGM Grand. A fine-dining connoisseur may receive an offer to a private wine dinner and a slot player may receive a Freeplay offer, while a table games player will be offered promotional chips.

The program is being promoted on a microsite, mlife.com, where players can manage their accounts and also get info on upcoming shows, events and concerts. M life TV -- available on mlife.com, YouTube and on a dedicated in-room hotel channel -- is a behind-the-scenes look at the hottest restaurants, shows and celebrity events. M life magazine, available in all MGM Resorts' hotel rooms, informs guests about the latest happenings within the resort group.

M life is a "major shift" for MGM Resorts in the way the company engages guests, says Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, in a release. "In terms of business impact, M life will enable us to retain a larger share of existing customer spend, activate new customers, increase customer frequency and provide better return on investment for promotional expenditure," Murren says.