No matter the state of the economy, savvy consumers love coupons. And some coupon users participate in an extreme form of couponing—once spawning a fad that only declined when people realized how much work was involved! But for most buyers, clipping a few coupons is a helpful money-saving strategy. But is there a better way to get coupons in front of customers so that everyone—buyer and seller—wins?
About Instant Redeemable Coupons
A coupon that doesn’t make it to the checkout is a wasted coupon—both for the consumer and the manufacturer (or store). But an instant redeemable coupon (IRC) affixed as a label on a product is immediately available to the consumer. At the time of purchase, the buyer peels the coupon off its carrier label, scans it, and instantly receives the discount. Could it be any easier? Statistics indicate that nearly half of IRCs are redeemed—much higher than newspaper inserts and even other in-store promotions—so it seems consumers embrace the format.
But the instant (and nearly foolproof) discount alone isn’t the only benefit of IRC labels.
Attract attention
Every product on the shelf doesn’t have an instant coupon label. And (thankfully) every product on the shelf doesn’t use bright and bold coupon label colors all over their packaging—consumers couldn’t handle the visual overload. So that’s why an out-of-the-ordinary brightly-colored coupon label will catch the eye in a sea of products. It’s especially effective if your product is in a packed product category. Every advantage is important when consumers have an abundance of choice.
Clear out older stock
Manufacturers can sometimes be resistant to coupons and discounts, thinking they reduce profit margins. But since most grocery items have some type of shelf life, product can’t sit out for sale indefinitely. Unsold product that is eventually disposed of generates no profit—and actually loses money for the company because of the expense of creating or processing the product.
Enter the IRC: an instant coupon is easy to apply to older inventory to motivate sales prior to expiration. Volume purchases (buy-1-get-1 or other quantity upsells) are a great strategy to clear the shelves even faster.
Stuck on… most anything
The instant redeemable coupon label is a two-part label designed to stick securely to packaging, but easily release its coupon. This design allows it to work well on a variety of product surfaces: boxes, bags, and even items wrapped in little more than heavy-duty plastic wrap. But even more impressive is how well the label works on refrigerated and frozen items. Cold temperatures and moisture would compromise many types of adhesive and label materials. But an IRC can be mounted with strong temperature- and moisture-resistant glue, while the coupon portion remains easy to peel.
A final word
Once packaging has been produced, it likely won’t be changed again for a long time because of the numerous logistics (and expense) involved. But adding an instant label coupon means the last word no longer goes to the existing package. An IRC not only provides space for a special offer and discount, but more real-estate for messaging even when the coupon portion is removed. It’s far easier and cost-effective to add to (or even correct) package text by using a label than by going back to press.
Is your product a good candidate for an instant redeemable coupon label? Give us a call and we can help you get started.