Key findings:
- Over 58% of consumers are more likely to visit a FMCG brand or grocery retailer site if they know a coupon is available
- A third of internet printable coupon users are using more coupons than they were a year ago
- 44% of internet-printable coupon users are looking out for more promotional offers than 12 months ago
- 50% of internet users said coupons influence them to try new products
- Younger, more affluent females are the most common internet coupon users
New independent market research commissioned by interactive coupon solutions company Couponstar, has found that internet-printable couponare a highly effective means of increasing online brand engagement. The telephone-based Omnibus research survey, which investigated the impact of the recession on coupon usage across the UK, found that 58% of consumers are more likely to visit a FMCG brand site if they know a coupon is available and 65% of consumers would visit a grocery retailer site with the same incentive.
In addition to driving web traffic, the research shows that the presence of coupons can significantly influence the type and amount of online activity a consumer undertakes, with 46% of respondents indicating they are more likely to open an email, 44% admitting they are more likely to click on a search listing and 39% highlighting that they are more likely to click on an online ad.
The research also found that 44% of internet coupon users are looking out for more promotional offers now compared with 12 months ago. Furthermore, 31% of internet coupon users have started using coupons in the last 12 months, 42% are using coupons to a greater extent than a year ago, and 44% are more careful to remember coupons when going to the supermarket.
Another key finding was that internet-printable coupon can have a fundamental impact on product and brand choice. Indeed, 50% of internet users agreed that coupons influence them to buy new products, whilst 46% said that coupons influence them to try a brand they wouldn't typically buy. The research also found that 59% of internet-printable coupon users are female, with a median age of 41 and a median income of £29,591, demonstrating that the more affluent female demographic is the most frequent internet coupon user.
Commenting on the research findings, Jared Keen, managing director at Couponstar, explains, "Consumers have made conscious changes to their purchasing behaviour in a bid to reduce spending, and as a result they are increasingly seeking out coupon offers and trade promotions. Against this backdrop, there is a continued move by UK brands towards leveraging internet-printable coupon as a powerful and cost effective vehicle for driving sales growth, enhancing brand value and increasing the ROI from online marketing campaigns. Significantly, Internet usage also continues to grow, particularly amongst 'middle-class' women, the primary household shoppers, as they search for imaginative ways to live well in a downturn."
Keen continues, "Organisations including Unilever, Mars, Colgate Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and Warburtons are now exploiting the inherent customer engagement associated with using Internet coupons. This shift in strategy also reflects the growing demand for marketing activity to deliver tangible return on investment. Internet-printable coupon are highly measurable, providing marketers with rapid insight into both the number of coupons printed and the number redeemed. With typical redemption rates of 29% - over 11 times more effective than the typical manufacturer coupon campaign which on average achieves a 2.5% redemption rate (Source: 2008 Valassis Report) - Internet-printable coupon are enabling these brands to cost effectively acquire new customers and drive in-store sales."
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