MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A new report by Marx, a Kantar Media solution, revealed that for the calendar year-to-date through September, digital coupon usage increased by 59.9 percent versus the same period in 2009. Additionally, 267 manufacturers distributed digital coupons, an increase of 23 percent from the same period last year.

“Digital coupons are becoming a core component within the overall promotion mix for consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers. As with traditional FSI coupons, consumers actively engage with digital coupon websites in the home to make purchase decisions,” said Mark Nesbitt, president of Kantar Media Intelligence. “Digital promotion tactics continue to evolve as manufacturers gain experience and fine-tune best practices related to key websites, face value, expiration, timing, and other factors. Marx helps our clients break through the competitive digital promotion clutter to deliver the right offer to the right consumer,” he said. 

Marx compared digital and print promotions for retailers, and found there were 286 manufacturers running digital promotion events, about 5.5 percent more than the 271 manufacturers that participated in traditional print FSI campaigns during the same period.

“Digital coupon events on retailer websites are becoming an attractive opportunity for manufacturers to align with their strategic retail partners in order to drive shopping trips and increase sales,” said Bob Cristofono, vice president of Sales at Marx.

For the fourth quarter of this year versus the previous quarter, Marx expects a further increase in the number of CPG companies that distribute digital coupons.

For more on coupon usage, see this NACS Magazine feature.