The typical image of a coupon clipper is someone w/a scruffy wallet overflowing with paper fragments of all shapes and sizes who somehow always winds up in front of you at the checkout stand. According to a recent study by Simmons Market Research Bureau and Coupons, Inc. that image is increasingly out of date. Today's coupon clippers (or, more appropriately, coupon clickers) are increasingly online - nearly 36 million of the 148 million Americans who use coupons find them online instead of in their local newspaper. And that demographic is increasingly attractive - more than half of online coupon users are 22 to 44 years old, and their household income is significantly higher than that of your tradtional coupon clipper. I have to admit to being a bit of a coupon clicker myself. Like the 81% of Web users who say they look for product information online before making a purchase, I search for information on the item I want (new running shoes, say), then find an online store that has the best price. Then, in another browser tab, I search for coupons for that online store hoping to score free shipping.
The point here is that your best customers may have very different behaviors online than off and you need to understand not just their profile or demographic, but their online an offline behavior patterns as well. That's the only way you can successfully plan your communication touchpoints and engagement strategy. Plan your strategy around an outdated image of your customers and you could find yourself a little short at the checkout counter.
