360i Publishes Digital Coupon Playbook as New Generation of Shoppers Turns to Web for Savings

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Digital agency 360i, selected to Advertising Age’s Agency A-List and Fast Company’s “World’s Most Innovative Companies” roster, today released Couponing in the Digital Age – A Playbook for CPG Brands. The Playbook is an in-depth guide to understanding the evolving digital coupons landscape and provides guidance on how brands can connect with digital-minded consumers who are increasingly shifting their couponing habits online. The report is available now for free download at http://www.360i.com/digitalcoupons.

“Our Social & Mobile Marketing Playbooks have together been downloaded more than 60,000 times and have received industry-wide praise and recognition. This latest installment aligns with 360i’s ongoing commitment to innovation through education, and it’s our hope that it illuminates the developing digital coupons space.”

From the recession has emerged a new budget-conscious America that is driving a marked shift in consumer behavior around coupons. Digital coupons today represent a small, but growing, portion of the overall coupon market – and the pace of change in media and mobile continues to create tremendous opportunities for marketers with a vision. In fact, eMarketer recently estimated that by the end of 2011, nearly half of US adult Internet users (more than 88 million people) will have redeemed a digital coupon for online or offline use. With frugality in vogue and Sunday newspaper readership on the decline, savvy shoppers will increasingly look to the web to save on consumer packaged goods (CPG). Brands with a deep understanding of the behavior of their specific target, as well as a firm grasp on the burgeoning landscape, will be best suited to make the most of the myriad opportunities afforded by this environment.

Couponing in the Digital Age also includes contributed articles from Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons.com; Joan Francolini, Sr. Director of Brand & Customer Engagement, Kraft Foods; Ed Kaczmarek, Director of Innovation -Consumer Experiences, Kraft Foods; and Gregg Vincent, VP of Consumer Products, MyWebGrocer.

Digital coupons are more flexible, efficient and more effective at enticing new buyers. They also appeal to a more attractive demographic of Millennials and other digital natives. Their benefits are many – and as CPG marketers turn more attention to digital coupons, 360i’s playbook provides an overview of the landscape and tips for maximizing marketing objectives through the use of digital coupons.

“Couponing in the Digital Age advises CPG marketers on how to approach digital couponing within the lens of their broader online and offline marketing efforts by understanding the landscape in the context of consumer behavior,” said Sarah Hofstetter, SVP of Brand Strategy & Emerging Media at 360i. “Our Social & Mobile Marketing Playbooks have together been downloaded more than 60,000 times and have received industry-wide praise and recognition. This latest installment aligns with 360i’s ongoing commitment to innovation through education, and it’s our hope that it illuminates the developing digital coupons space.”

Key areas addressed in the Playbook include:

* Digital Coupons Overview: Ten reasons why digital coupons matter right now – from increased acceptance of coupon usage to Sunday newspaper readership declines.

* The digital coupon target: A detailed glimpse at the persona of a typical digital coupon user, as determined by the Insights & Planning group at 360i.

* Evaluating digital coupons for your brand: How to apply 360i’s Strategic Lens to opportunities in digital couponing.

* The differences between digital & traditional coupons: The advantages digital coupons present in relation to their traditional counterparts, including higher redemption rates, increased sharability, lower costs and more robust performance metrics.

* Couponing Innovations: Social coupons, group coupons, mobile coupons and more innovative ways that marketers can distribute digital coupons.

* Measuring Success: The success of a digital coupon campaign relies on several factors, including brand favorability, household penetration of a product/category, brand development index, and more.

To download Couponing in the Digital Age, please visit http://www.360i.com/digitalcoupons. This playbook is the third in 360i’s ongoing series, which includes the Social & Mobile Marketing Playbooks.

About 360i:

360i is an award-winning digital marketing agency that drives results for Fortune 500 marketers through insights, ideas and technologies. 360i helps its clients think differently about their online presence and evolve their strategies to take advantage of the new world of marketing communications – one where brands and consumers engage in interactive and multi-directional conversations. 360i was selected to Ad Age’s Agency A-List and Fast Company’s roster of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies.” Current clients include Oreo, jcpenney, Coca-Cola, NBC Universal and Diageo, among others. For more information, please visit blog.360i.com or follow us on Twitter @360i.