Women Clip Most Coupons

Women Primarily Obtain Coupons
Coupons fit into the lives of male and female shoppers differently. They search for coupons in different media, redeem them in different channels, and use them to accomplish different shopping objectives. Across both gender groups, newspapers and direct mail/circulars hold the top spots for finding deals (62% and 58%, respectively). However, women are clearly more involved in clipping coupons, surpassing males in just about all coupon sources except mobile phones.

Men Use Tech for Planning
Interestingly, when it comes to technology and coupons, men start to become more involved in the shopping process with coupon, retailer, and brand websites coming in right behind newspapers as places where they actively seek out coupons. The increased interest in online coupons indicates that men who are seeking coupons online during their pre-planning and research stage of shopping are more open to marketing messaging if provided with the right amount of benefit.

In this case, the coupon would not serve as an awareness-raising vehicle or customer-acquisitions device but as a driver to CRM marketing programs, like frequent-buyer clubs and memberships.

Consumers Eye Coupon Convenience
Nearly three out of four shoppers (74%) report using coupons because they are convenient and useful, while 26% say coupons take too much effort to find and use. Older shoppers (50-plus years) use coupons often and are more likely to use them to buy familiar brands and products, yet a significantly higher amount (32%) report that coupons take too much effort to find and use.

Interestingly, shoppers are split when addressing the issue of whether coupons cause the brand decision or the brand decision drives the coupon search. Shoppers who report that coupons are “convenient and useful” are using them for items that they buy and re-stock often (e.g. paper products, cleaners, cereal).

For items that have a larger repurchase cycle (e.g., furniture, electronics, motorcycles), coupons may not be as useful to the shopper unless they receive them at precisely the right time when they are considering a repurchase or close to a repurchase point.

Full story here

 A TargetCast study reveals some positive results for the newspaper industry. Full story, from MarketingCharts, here.

More from the study: 

Hope for Traditional Media

According to TargetCast, the study reveals a “glimmer of hope for traditional mass media.” While 60% of consumers say newspapers need to change the most to stay relevant, most are nevertheless sticking with the media they’ve known for years. For example, those ages 35+ still consider newspaper ads to be more influential in determining their purchase decisions.

Additionally, more than 40%  of adults ages 18-64 say they prefer the experience of reading a printed newspaper vs. online sources, and just 15% of all respondents say they would rather read magazines online. Among those ages 45+, a solid 57% prefer the experience of reading a printed magazine vs. reading a magazine online. A significant number of adults aged 18-64 (41%) also indicate radio is still relevant in their purchase decisions.
Additional study findings:

• Men are more likely than women to indicate that printed news is a less relevant source of news and information.
• Men are currently using the internet more than women to watch TV shows/videos and play games.
• Newspapers and magazines are not considered as relevant today and are easiest to eliminate from usage.
• The biggest usage declines in printed newspapers, magazines and radio are found among men and young adults ages 18-34.
• TV and internet, respectively, identified as most important media.
• Young adults 18-34 rank the internet as more important than TV .
• Men are more likely than women to indicate they would rather listen to pre-recorded music on my mP3 player than the radio.
• Respondents are more likely to disagree with the statement that printed newspapers are more trustworthy than online sources.
• 72% say that they are not willing to pay for an online newspaper subscription to replace their printed newspaper subscription, implying, TargetCast said, that people expect the news online to be free.

“More than ever, marketers must take into account the evolving media preferences of specific target audiences as they refine their approach to connecting with consumers,” said Peter Sedlarcik, SVP, director of insights and analytics at TargetCast tcm. “Yet, while many may declare print media is dead, our findings show that marketing messages in newspapers and magazines still score well in terms of consumer attentiveness and purchase influence.”