Over forty of you were generous enough to respond to my marketing questions on in-carton coupons.

Caveats

Before considering results, keep these biases in mind:

- Most respondents were female.
- All but three respondents were over 25, definitely NOT the my space crowd.
- Most were homeowners.
- Anything learned on my blog is mostly projectable to festering nests of bleeding heart liberals.

Observations:

- In general, the older the respondent the more likely she is to appreciate coupons or other forms of “good deals.” This, of course, is the group most used to clipping coupons and seeking out this form of marketing because she is traditionally responsible for the household budget.

- There is a real “love ‘em, hate’em” split with no wishy washy respondents in between. With half the sample on one side and nearly half on the other, in-carton couponing is a still a viable marketing technique. So expect to see its use continue in the near future.

- However, an increasing interest in “green” is having a negative impact on this form of marketing. Keep in mind this is a pretty liberal audience so the green influence is no doubt stronger here than with the population at large.

- Those that are positive to coupons, are really attracted to an offer on the outside of the envelop … 2/3 respond to the idea of an offer on the next order. You came up with the idea of “free shipping” on your own, you clever dogs.

- Many don’t seem to view a coupon pack inside a carton as any different from receiving freestanding junk mail.

Actionable consequences:
A. An envelope should be MORE than an envelope of coupons. It should have tips or recipes or other data pertinent to the consumer’s purchase. The marketer should make it informative vs just promotional.

B. If a manufacturer includes coupons, they should be for offers that are substantial, relevant, and on items of equal or greater quality than the consumer’s original purchase. For instance, a coupon for Pottery Barn would be better received in a Williams Sonoma package than, say, an offer for life insurance.

C. Julie sent this comment “Like many above, having to recycle a pile of junk is a pain and a waste, so I don’t like the mixed bag of coupons hawking everything from pen knives to wigs. I think there must be an easier way to attract business without the need for screaming trees – a link to a website where one could print out the coupons they were interested in. I think I’d check that out, if even just for the gratitude factor of not having to deal with a packet of glossy recyclables.”

Result:

I talked to my client about all the above. They manufacture a product known as a consumer durable … that’s one that is supposed to last for many years like a lawn mower or vacuum cleaner or washing machine.

They have opted to explore option C. That means well over a million pieces of literature won’t get printed, but purchasers will still be presented with substantial and relevant offers online. I don’t know how many trees that saves. But Julie is a heroine.

To all of you: This is one survey where a client actually listened to what you had to say. Good going! And thanks for taking the time. I’m proud of you here on the back nine. And when the time comes, I will let you know the client’s name.