Web coupon effectiveness measurement agreed

Couponstar has revealed that the coupon industry has come to an agreement on how to accurately measure the effectiveness of internet (printable) coupons.

The agreement means that various coupon distribution media can be compared on a level field.

Internet coupon effectiveness will be measured by the number of coupons actually printed by consumers, as opposed to the alternative method of measuring the potential number of coupons that could be printed, as measured by the volume of e-mails sent or the number of visitors to a brand website.

Couponstar said the shift is important, as it makes a difference to benchmarks for factors such as redemption rates, face value, average purchase requirement and average expiration date.

The new standard also brings the UK into line with the US, which will enable cross-country comparison.

Jared Keen, managing director at Couponstar, said: 'With marketing budgets becoming increasingly tight, organisations need the most up-to-date information available on the cost-effectiveness of the various coupon methods, which the old system didn't really address.

'Now that internet coupon distribution is being measured on the same playing field as direct mail, door drop and magazine coupons, we are confident that more brands will see the true cost-effectiveness that internet-printable coupons offer.

He added: 'When an advertiser uses an internet coupon vendor that provides the appropriate levels of security they can monitor accurately and in real-time how many coupons are printed, providing control over their redemption budgets.

'This is increasingly important in the current economic climate.

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