Online coupon network first

Leading FMCG brands, publishers and retailers including Colgate, emap (First Magazine) and Ocean Spray are using secure consumer-printed coupons and vouchers to engage consumers online to drive in-store sales.

Leading FMCG brands, publishers and retailers including Colgate, emap (First Magazine) and Ocean Spray are using secure consumer-printed coupons and vouchers to engage consumers online to drive in-store sales.

Couponstar named the early adopters at the launch of its new CouponNET service, the first online network for distributing consumer-printed coupons and vouchers in the UK. Through a network of leading consumer websites, the service is designed to provide a turnkey platform for distributing printable coupon and voucher offers over the internet.

Other consumer websites have already signed up to the programme, including: GMTV, UKTV, Lycos UK, Bounty.com, Closer magazine, Daily diet tracker, and ipoints UK.

Thresher's has been in the media spotlight recently as a result of its '40% off' voucher campaign, where the retailer had very little control over its promotional exposure once vouchers began circulating freely on the internet. In contrast, CouponNET, supported by Couponstar's security, carefully controls the number of coupons that can be printed by each individual, as well as the total distributed across all websites within the network.

The system also supports other formats such as video coupons where customers are required to view a short video commercial before they can print the offer. And from a brand management perspective, CouponNET campaigns can be tracked end to end via an online reporting system, which helps brand managers to evaluate success of campaigns and plan future initiatives.