Here is an instance where LESS PRINT is good news that there will be more opportunities for Print in 2012 as Markerters shift from offering coupons to once again creating campaigns to entice consumers with good ole’ advertising!
Marketers Hold The Promo Line In 2011, Coupon Volume Drops For First Time In Years
by Joe Mandese,
In what could be an important lagging indicator that Madison Avenue is continuing to emerge from the effects of the global economic recession, coupon volume declined significantly in 2011, reversing an upward trend of the previous couple of years as marketers shifted to more consumer promotion strategies to stimulate consumer purchasing.
Some 272 billion free-standing insert (FSI) coupons were distributed in 2011 — a decline of 6.5% from 2010, according to estimates released today by WPP’s Kantar Media unit.
The 2011 decline follows two consecutive years of annual increases, including a 7.2% gain in 2010 and an 8.0% gain in 2009.
The decrease may be a positive indicator for the advertising marketplace, since marketers historically shift budgets from brand-building advertising into consumer price promotions during periods of weak consumer demand. During 2011, Kantar estimated the value of the coupons distributed was worth more than $421 billion in consumer price incentives.
Another strong indicator: the average “face value” of coupon offers did not increase during 2011. It actually declined slightly from 2010. At $1.55, the average face value per coupon distributed in 2011 was down 0.2% from 2010.
