Mobile coupon usage to triple, says Juniper

Edited by the Marketingweek Marketplace editorial team Dec 9, 2009

Juniper Research has released a report that suggests that mobile coupon usage will triple, exceeding 300 million people globally, by 2014.

The report is entitled 'Mobile Coupons and NFC Smart Posters: Strategies, Applications and Forecasts 2009-14'.

It suggests that consumer usage of mobile coupons will exceed 300 million people globally by 2014, principally in developed markets, with the 'apps revolution' triggering the growth of new mobile coupon services.

Juniper said as more users acquire smartphones, they will want to exploit the improved capabilities of their devices with new features and services, especially when it is going to save them money.

For marketers, mobile coupon campaigns sent using location-based applications can be much more effectively targeted than the 'scattergun' approach of traditional coupons.

Howard Wilcox, senior analyst at Juniper Research, said: 'We found that with the growth of smartphones, a growing number of coupon-specific downloadable apps are being launched, often linked to location-based searches.

'For example, when you are at the mall and you have your smartphone on you with your downloaded coupon app, then you should be able to find your way to a good offer nearby.

However, the mobile coupons report identified a number of market constraints.

For example, some users could be reluctant to share their mobile number to participate in coupon schemes due to the danger of spam and fake coupons - privacy is a concern to many.

Despite this and the lack of progress on NFC coupons because of the poor availability of NFC phones, Juniper said mobile coupon usage is still set to triple over the next five years.