Smart Coupons
Coupon clipping has been around since 1887 when, according to The History of Coupons and Promotional Codes, one of the partners of Coca-Cola helped launch the company into the public eye by using the first coupon as an innovative advertising technique. Since then, coupons have become a popular marketing tool and a vehicle through which millions of families save money. Although paper coupons are still around today, the proliferation of the Internet and e-commerce has created a need for online printable coupons and promotion codes. In her article, Web Coupons Know Lots About You, and They Tell, Stephanie Clifford, explains the emerging technology of coupons best when she says, “A new breed of coupon, printed from the Internet or sent to mobile phones, is packed with information about the customer who uses it.”
Today, innovative companies like RevTrax are making coupons work for retailers by providing information about the coupon holder. For example, the information contained in RevTrax’s smart coupons allows its retailers to learn about their demographic and how they shop. Additionally, retailers can now test marketing strategies on a small customer base before spending thousands or millions of dollars on a huge advertising campaign. Then, once a full-fledge marketing plan is launched retailers can get direct feedback on how well their marketing plan is working. Finally, it allows retailers to connect with customers on a more personal level, by sending customer-specific follow-up offers or a simple thank-you note.
Loss of anonymity is a worry that many people have with these smart coupons. However, the benefits can be great. Instead of receiving a lot of coupons to places you never shop, the goal of smart coupons is to deliver them only to people who will use them. Moreover, if a company sees that you love to buy a certain brand of shoes, they could send you a coupon when a shipment of that brand of shoes is comes in. Not only will this drive traffic into the store, it benefits the customer with insider knowledge and a discount to boot.
As an avid shopper, I would gladly give up some information about myself and my shopping habits in order to get a great deal on a product I really want or need. What do you think about smart coupons?
Very well stated! I couldn’t agree more!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Grant Hansen and Jordan Collins, Grant Hansen. Grant Hansen said: Smart #Coupons http://bit.ly/bX8WtY – RevTrax is my bro's company. Doing cool stuff! [...]
People have forever been secretive about their personal information, especially my generation. Well it is time we get over the paranoia.
Technology today allows everything from your exact location to be known, via auto or phone GPS, people to see an aerial view of your house on Google Earth and to know you just finished getting your teeth cleaned thru Face book or Twitter!
Get the picture!
Yes identity theft is terrifying but with all that computers have made available to get info about individuals, is having merchants get a better profile of their customer traffic so threatening. Loss of anonymity get over it. We are in a NEW cyber world and the benefits certainly out way the negatives! If you ask me RevTrax is the conduit bringing Bill Gates and marketing research together. What a concept.
I couldn’t agree with you more Julie. Great writing!