So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.

Wow. It’s been ten weeks already?! This semester flew by, and I’m going to be honest with you, I can’t wait until it’s over. This semester posed many new challenges for me that had their fair share of ups and downs. Blogging wasn’t even a word in my vocabulary until January 2008. At first it was an obnoxious task that I absolutely dreaded. However, once I got the hang of it I grew to enjoy my bi-weekly article search and blog session. Coupons, promotions, and contests also seemed to find its way into my daily life and conversations. My friends thought I was crazy because I knew these bizarre and random facts about the latest coupons or contests that were being offered. I really enjoyed this category because I was able to focus directly on the consumers and their needs. Although similar, coupons, promotions, and contests all play a different but equally important role in the success of a product or company. The following will be a ‘highlight’ if you will of what I’ve learned about these three categories over the past ten weeks.

Coupons. Looking back on my first post about coupons, I remember exactly what I was thinking about that day. My mother is a coupon addict and when I was younger I really didn’t know why. So what- they are piece of paper that saves you like a quarter on laundry detergent, big deal. I quickly learned that it is a big deal. Spending twenty minutes a week clipping coupons can save you hundreds of dollars a month. Pretty soon that quarter will be a dollar, then five dollars, twenty and so on. Coupons are a highly effective marketing tool that is often overlooked by both consumers and companies. They provide the customer an incentive to be exposed to your product. They don’t necessarily need to buy it, but if they have a coupon it is much more likely that they will at least check it out in the store or play closer attention to the advertisements for it. Let’s face it. Prices are rising, and not just for gas. Grocery, vacation, technology, and construction-you name it and it is getting more expensive. And I know we all work very hard for our money. (Okay, maybe not all- I’m sure Paris Hilton doesn’t need to clip coupons to go on a shopping spree- but you get the idea.) If you could save some of that grocery money to do other things you enjoy, why wouldn’t you?

Coupons have also continued to grow with our technological society. Companies want it to be easy for consumers to find coupons for what they want, when they want. Websites and web communities have been devoted to showing shoppers how to find coupons for virtually any type of product and service. Many sites also categorize and organize coupons by product, expiration date, dollar amount, or store so it is easier for consumers to find what they are looking for. Some even offer online grocery list, coupon ‘cart’, and consumer rating options that add to your coupon experience. A few that I found to be extremely popular were RedPlum.com, CouponCrib.com, UltimateCoupons.com, and MyCoupons.com. These sites offer options to receive online coupon codes as well as print out versions of coupons. Although they make look real, some internet coupons could potentially be fake. Another thing I learned while writing this blog was that there are evil people who spend their time making fake coupons. They appear to consumers as 100% legit, but cannot be used at many stores because the stores do not get re-paid for them. Now I know it probably is your first instinct to get mad at the store that won’t let you use the coupon, but it’s really not their fault. They are in the same boat- they will get screwed out of getting paid by the manufacturers, and we don’t want that. So lesson of that story is to check with your grocery store’s policy about internet coupons before you try to use them and be careful when choosing where to print your online coupons.

Speaking of printing, as our world is becoming more aware of our impact on the environment, coupons too are joining in the party. Using traditional coupons wastes a lot of energy and paper; however there are ways to still save money without hurting the environment. Touch screen and paperless coupon capabilities are being introduced into the market and are set to become very popular. People who clip coupons no longer need to feel bad about using the wasted paper to save money. And now perhaps coupon clipping can be seen as ‘cool’ or potentially the ‘only’ way to shop. I know that I value my time and money very much, and with coupons, anything saved helps. If you don’t use or know much about coupons, I suggest you pick up a paper or hop on the computer and check them out. Try using coupons for a month and see what it does to your wallet. And if you want, come back and let me know how you do!

The other two aspects of my blog are promotions and contests. These can also be a very effective way for companies to reach out to consumers. I found that many businesses use contests as a part of a larger promotions plan to generate buzz about a product or event. Promotions and contests are really about establishing a relationship with the consumer. They also tend to create strong brand images and feelings of loyalty in the minds of shoppers that greatly effect what they buy. With contests, the advantage that companies have lies within targeting a specific audience. Consumers are never forced to enter into a contest, so you know that the people that take the time to do so are definitely worth taking care of. Contests have the ability to be very broad and target a large group or people, or target one small section. For example, a sweepstakes for a year’s supply of Tide probably could be targeted to almost anyone. Hopefully everyone needs and uses laundry soap to keep clean, so a contest like this could be great way to introduce a new product to an existing line or grab the competition’s customers. However, other more specialized topics like video games, sports, politics, or automobiles, need to be targeted to a specific group in order for them to be successful. A housewife with three kids probably isn’t going to be interested in a contest for video game equipment and a hardcore biker is not likely to enter for a years worth of diapers. But with contests, marketers can easily use mediums that they know their target audience already uses to reach them. My favorites that I’ve blogged about have been the ‘Un’Contest by Pegasus News and India’s Next Rock Band. And let’s face it- wouldn’t it be really cool to win something free for basically just submitting some info? You know it.

One thing that I have learned from my research is that consumers love to be involved. If there’s a way, then they will find it. Many brands have found success in using consumer-generated promotions to gain more customers. People like to be creative and feel that they are a part of a brand (like a family, aw.) Promotions are a great way to do just that. Anything a brand can do to connect with a customer makes them a step closer to purchasing and continuing to do so in the future. Sponsoring events, giving away free samples, hosting concerts, or even having a contest, are great ways to introduce your brand to the public. You’d be surprised at how many people will stop and see what you have to offer. Online promotions have also started to become a successful way to reach out to consumers. Online games, chat rooms, message boards, videos, and forums give customers the opportunity to do anything they desire on their own time. They love that they are in control and can share their experiences with others. People helping people- it’s a beautiful thing. Plus, promotions tend to act like viral and word of mouth marketing so there actually is less work involved! Once you start the conversation people will continue to talk to their friends who in turn talk to their friends and so on. Making consumers feel that their needs and opinions really matter is exactly what they are looking for. This is why promotions are a smart and simple way to build strong relationships with consumers.

Coupons, promotions, and contests will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve kind of become a freak for anything free and have been proud to share my knowledge with others. I think that these fields will only continue to grow both in success and popularity. No matter how much technology we have, nothing beats an honest and strong bond that consumers look for in companies and products. For a final group project in my Audience Research class, our objective is to successfully market a relatively new product, Godiva Liqueuer. Using what I have learned from this blog, I know that creating a strong brand image in consumer’s minds is imperative to meet our goals. Sure you can advertise to them all you want in newspapers, magazines, on television and the internet. They probably won’t even notice you among the clutter. But, get them to interact directly with your brand once, and you’ve got yourself a relationship my friend. Treat them like you would any other important relationship in your life; with respect and openness. As for myself and our relationship over the past ten weeks, I say thank you. Thanks for reading and commenting, and thank you for the opportunity to give you something for nothing. Although I probably won’t go on to work for a ‘contest’ or ‘promotions’ company, I hope to one day give everyone the opportunity to be heard. And if that means becoming Oprah and giving away multi-million dollar prizes and making wishes come true, then so be it.