A Week of Coupons #3

I love craft stores! Not because I'm particularly good at any crafts. I don't scrapbook, quilt, paint, draw, arrange flowers, or many of the other things offered at a craft store. However, for the times when I need a cheap, but quality t-shirt, or some glitter, I know I can get this and other random items at half price.

Micheal's, Jo Ann's, A.C. Moore - these are my favorite places. The only problem? I won't shop these stores unless I have a coupon, much like many of their other customers. When these places started offering coupons, they should have stopped to consider what they were doing to their brand.

These stores are now considered to be similar to dollar stores - maybe a step up, but still a place to go to find discounts. They often discount their holiday items weeks before the holiday even arrives. This is where you go to find a deal, but not necessarily quality.

When you decide to offer coupons for your business, what are you telling people about your business (brand)?

While most companies seek a middle ground for their businesses - offering an occasional coupon, but not overdoing it. The key is to find the line between too much and not enough. The best way to determine that line is to poll your customers, find out what they think of your business now and what you can do to improve their views. You can also determine how they view your services and products.

And if you're stuck trying to find that line, give us a call.

The Week of Coupons #1

I picked up my newspaper a few weeks ago and was very happy to see my local, favorite pizza place had a coupon! They just opened a few months ago and coupons were non-existent.
I hung the coupon on the refrigerator and thought, "We'll just use that later this week."

- Later in the Week-

I grabbed the coupon and picked up the phone to order a pizza, only to look closer and find that the coupon expired the same day it came out. So the coupon came out on Sunday and expired on the same Sunday.
I was pissed. I ordered Chinese instead.

Coupon Lesson #1

 If you are going to spend the money to have a coupon run in your local newspaper, make sure the coupon has a reasonable expiration date.
A "reasonable expiration date" is defined as a date that accommodates the customer, doesn't end too soon for them to use the coupon, but does have an end date in the near future. Generally, two to three months is a good time period for an expiration date. If you don't add an expiration date, you'll have customers walk through your doors two years later with a coupon that you have can no longer honor. This is just as bad as having a ridiculously short expiration date.