New market research commissioned by interactive coupon solutions company Couponstar has found that internet-printable coupons are becoming a highly effective means of increasing online brand engagement.
31% of internet coupon users have started using them 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, the telephone-based omnibus research survey discovered. Other key findings include:
- More than 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 they were 12 months ago
- 50% of internet users said coupons influence them to try new products
- 59% of internet printable coupon users are female, with a median age of 41 and a median income of £29,591, indicating that the more affluent female demographic is the most frequent internet coupon user
In addition to driving web traffic, the research found 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.
Another key finding was that internet printable coupons can have a fundamental impact on product and brand choice. 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.
“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,” says Jared Keen, managing director at Couponstar. “Against this backdrop, there is a continued move by UK brands towards leveraging internet-printable coupons 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.”
