2009: The Year of the Coupon

Recently I read an interesting article in Response magazine. Money Mailer's Mobile Movement by Jacqueline Renfrow details 2009 as the year of the coupon. In 2008 Americans redeemed over 2.6 billion coupons for a wide variety of products. Take-out food, grocery items and supplies for home improvement projects are only a few of the types of products coupons were redeemed for.

With advances in technology coupon clipping is no longer limited to the inserts from the Sunday newspaper. Consumers have revealed to marketers that they would be even more likely to redeem coupons if they have the ability to download the coupons onto their store loyalty cards or to their cell phones.

This is where Money Mailer comes in. Money Mailer is a very well known direct mail marketing company that provides consumers with packets of coupons. With the 2007 introduction of the mobile coupon, Money Mailer has revolutionized the way consumers 'clip coupons'. After receiving a traditional packet of coupons in the form of postal mail, the consumer can text message a short code back to the company which will offer a discount at the physical store. You simply show the clerk the message on your cell phone to redeem the mobile coupon. This tactic is gaining popularity and big name companies and franchises, such as McDonald's are jumping on this band wagon.

Consumers like mobile couponing because it is more convenient than clipping and carrying around a traditional coupon, which will inevitably be lost or forgotten about while it floats around in a ladies handbag or crumpled up in a pocket.

Experts agree that mobile couponing has revolutionized the coupon industry, but it is also not "the- be all- end all" of couponing. Mobile couponing does have a definite advantage over email coupons. While this is a popular outlet for coupons, there is always the issue of having access to a computer when you are ready to redeem the coupon. Mobile coupons are always accessible if you have your cell phone on hand.

Mobile couponing is a brilliant idea. Combining the direct mail approach and the convenience of SMS messages is not only more cost effective, but it also helps to improve the image of Money Mailer. Mobile couponing saves a lot of unnecessary paper waste. This method of marketing matches consumers with the savings they are specifically interested in, eliminating the need to mail packages of coupons 4 times a year.

In this article the author is illustrating the way Americans shop is changing, and how technological advances influence these changes. The invention of the mobile coupon is amazing with its simplicity. This article explains how one business is adapting to these changing times, reaching a broader range of consumers, reducing waste and saving money.

Not only are mobile coupons an excellent form of advertisement, but also a powerful sales tool. Offering the consumer additional savings via text messaging is a brilliant way to compete in these times of economic uncertainty.