Posted by John Vinson

‘The more things change, the more they stay the same’, I know it’s a cliche but being so doesn’t make it wrong. The coupon’s origin dates back to 1887 with the Coca-cola company who’s cited as releasing the first coupon. Today, in 2009 the marketing tactic is as strong as ever, if you’re to believe thislatest study released from Coupons.com.

The early days of the internet were a trying time for the coupon, as it was questioned how the transition could be made from print ads to cyberspace. Now, according to Coupon.com’s data, $858 million was saved in 2009 due to digital coupon use, a 170 percent increase over 2008. Comparing digital coupons to printed coupons, the difference was astronomical. Newspaper inserts and other printed coupons only saw a 8-16 percent growth; showing digital coupons outpacing print by nearly 10 to 1.

Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons.com had this to say about the 2009 numbers, “For the first time in almost two decades the use of coupons increased in 2009, in part due to the growth of digital coupons as more consumers made them part of their shopping routine and more brands tapped them to engage with their consumers.” He continues, “We expect the adoption of digital coupons will continue to accelerate in 2010 as consumers and brands alike increasingly adopt them, and as we continue to enable companies to engage with their consumers with coupons in innovative ways, including mobile and social media initiatives.”

Consumers actively searched for coupons in 2009 as coupons/rewards was the 5th fastest growing category for internet visits. According to Google Insights, the terms “printable coupons” and “online printable coupons” increased at rates of 186 and 178 percent. Yahoo listed “coupons” as the #1 economic related search term in 2009.

If you’re looking to geo-target your coupon marketing, here’s a Top 10 list of US cities who used coupons most frequently:

1. Atlanta, GA
2. Tampa, FL
3. Cincinnati, OH
4. Saint Louis, MO
5. Minneapolis, MN
6. Nashville, TN
7. Charlotte, NC
8. Cleveland, OH
9. Pittsburgh, PA
10. Kansas City, MO

When developing your online presence this year, factor coupons into your business strategy. Obviously, this marketing tactic can’t be used for every business but for those who can viably use coupons, remember these numbers.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 9:43 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About the Author: John is a staff writer for WebProNews.