In The News

March 2008: Retail Technology

Sharwoods launches print-at-home coupon campaign

Sharwoods, the well known manufacturer of authentic Asian food, has partnered with digital solutions company, Couponstar, to assist in the multi-million pound launch of its new authentic Thai range– a scheme that is proving to be a huge success – by encouraging customers to sample the new Thai range with the aid of print at home coupons.

20th March 2008: Promotions & Incentives

Couponstar reports four-fold rise in consumer-printed coupon campaigns

With major FMCG brands increasingly turning to consumer printable coupons as a means of monetising their online marketing campaigns, Couponstar has seen a 400% increase in the number of coupon campaigns run on behalf of clients last year, including campaigns for Unilever, Mars, Colgate Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and Ocean Spray.

19th March 2008: The Wise Marketer

Consumers hungry for internet-printable coupons

As the UK consumer continues to voraciously embrace the Internet and become increasingly sophisticated in its online behaviour, advertisers need to respond with innovative, interactive campaigns that maximise consumer value and reflect trends in this behaviour. So why adhere to outdated methods that no longer reflect consumer behaviour or expectations? asks Jared Keen, Managing Director, Couponstar.

4th March 2008: Retail Systems

UK consumers hungry for more internet-printable vouchers

With redemption rates hitting 25% and beyond, providing a measurable increase in in-store activity and unprecedented consumer interactivity, online printable vouchers present quantifiable value for money for the advertiser. So why adhere to outdated methods that no longer reflect consumer behaviour or expectations? asks Jared Keen, Managing Director, Couponstar.

1st January, 2008: Retail Systems
Voucher promotions warning
Voucher promotions freely circulated by email are being increasingly used by retailers, particularly in the build up to Christmas. However, the fake 60 per cent-off version provides further evidence that retailers need to assert more control over their promotions, argues Oliver Felstead, European general manager at digital marketing services provider, Couponstar.

24th December, 2007: The Sun
Stay coup-ed up this Christmas
There are two ways to stay coup-ed up this Christmas and save your hard-earned. The first is to batten down the hatches and say Bah! Humbug to the festive season. The second is far more rewarding and involves printing money saving vouchers direct from The Sun’s website.

20th December, 2007: New Media Age
Consumer-printed coupons are the future

Consumer-printable coupons also enable marketers to more effectively target consumers, reducing the amount of collateral sent out and the ensuing paper waste. And, as consumers only print the coupons they're interested in and use their consumables to do so, they're far more likely to redeem the coupon in-store, effectively removing the wastage that's typically associated with direct mail.

19th December, 2007:Marketing Services Talk
Tate and Lyle works with Couponstar
Tate and Lyle, the manufacturer of food and industrial ingredients, has partnered with Couponstar to drive awareness of its product range through the use of consumer-printable coupons.

13th December, 2007: Marketing Services Talk
Ocean Spray employs Couponstar to woo customers
Ocean Spray, the leading producer of cranberry products, has joined up with Couponstar drive awareness of its extended product range through a range of consumer-printable coupons.

11th December, 2007: U Talk Marketing
How to protect your sales promotion vouchers
The abuse of Internet Print at Home (PAH) coupons and vouchers continues to be a barrier to their wide-spread adoption within marketing campaigns, however the fears raised by campaigns such as those undertaken by Threshers and GAP recently can easily be overcome by investment in the correct technology.

3rd December, 2007: Precision Marketing
Supermarkets hold the key to coupon resurrection
There was a time when any self-respecting housewife wouldn't dream of going shopping without a bundle of coupons. But much like the term 'housewife', the market has changed.

1st December, 2007: FMCG News
Taking FMCGs Online
Byfailing to wholeheartedly embrace online marketing, FMCG manufacturers are missing a real opportunity not only to reach a wider audience but attain a measurable increase in in-store sales insists Jared Keen, Managing Director, Couponstar Ltd.

26th November, 2007: Internet Retailing
Who’s buying what 26-11-07: Matthews Foods works with Couponstar
Matthews Foods, the producer of Pure Spreads, has teamed up with Couponstar to enhance its customer loyalty programme and extend the reach of its coupon offers.

26th November, 2007: Brand Republic
Gap warns consumers over hoax email vouchers
Voucher promotions freely circulated by email are being increasingly used by retailers, particularly in the build up to Christmas. However, with fake 60%-off vouchers for Gap stores currently in circulation, this provides further evidence that retailers need to assert more control over their voucher promotions.

14th November, 2007: That's Food and Drink
Ocean Spray employs couponstar to entice new shoppers using printable coupon
Ocean Spray, the leading producer of cranberry juice drinks, dilutes, sauce and dried cranberries has joined up with Couponstar in order to drive awareness of its extended product range through a range of consumer-printable coupons.

23rd October, 2007: Brand Republic
E-mail can bethesaviour of direct mail during strike
The cancellation of all door drops during the Royal Mail strike had organisations across the country bemoaning the impact it would have on their ability to communicate with customers and the cost it will have on the industry.

1st October, 2007: Creative Match
Grocery Game and Couponstar team up to maximise consumer savings
The Grocery Game, the online consumer forum for saving money on grocery shopping, has partnered with digital marketing services provider, Couponstar, to help UK consumers money.

5th September, 2007: Brand Republic
Creative Masterclass on...Online Couponing
Instead of bombarding the customer with irrelevant emails, tailor your brand offers and make redemption easy.

5th September, 2007: Internet Retailing
Discount coupons generate revenue for Lycos
Lycos Europe has launched an online, printable coupon gallery enabling visitors to download and print money-off coupons for redemption offline. The coupon gallery has been developed and is being hosted by digital marketing services provider Couponstar.

1st September, 2007: Production Journal
Newsquest launches on-line coupon gallery
SEVEN of Newsquest Media’s London web sites are now offering a range of money-saving coupon offers following the adoption of the CouponNet platform from digitial marketing services provider, Couponstar, the first time the service has been used by a newspaper publisher.

1st September, 2007: Institute of Sales Promotion
New members reflect breadth of ISP
Couponstar is a digital marketing and promotions company that specialises in transforming online activity into measurable offline sales with a suite of products that safely and effectively integrate coupons or vouchers into online marketing campaigns.

16th August, 2007: The Wise Marketer
FMCG manufacturers encouraged to market online
By not embracing the full breadth of online marketing strategies, many fmcg (fast moving consumer goods) manufacturers are missing an opportunity not only to reach a wider audience but to gain measurable increases in retail sales, according to UK-based coupon provider Couponstar.

8th August, 2007: The Retail Bulletin
Newsquest Media Group adopts CouponNET platform
Newsquest, the second-largest newspaper publisher group, has announced the launch of its online printable coupon gallery that enables visitors to seven of their London sites to benefit from a range of money saving coupon offers.

1st August, 2007: Brand Republic
Incentives: Righteous rewards
From Marks & Spencer to BSkyB, brands across the UK are doing their utmost to be seen to be green. Corporate social responsibility has been joined by the environment on not only the consumer, but also the political, agenda. As such, its importance to brand-building is higher than ever.

3rd July, 2007: Creative Match
Moving on - the latest appointments from the creative world
Couponstar, provider of consumer-printed coupon marketing and technology solutions, has expanded its sales team with the appointment of two new UK Sales Managers.

5th June, 2007: Creative Match
Couponstar enhances security for its printable coupons
Couponstar, provider of consumer-printed coupon marketing and technology solutions, announces the release of a significant upgrade to its coupon printing software.

17th May, 2007: Creative Match
Grove Fresh rewards customers with online coupon campaign
Grove Fresh, the UK’s first pure organic juice producer, has joined up with Couponstar to provide visitors to the Bounty.com website with a consumer-printable coupon.

10th May, 2007: Precision Marketing
ipoints embarks on loyalty push
Colgate, Pedigree, Oust and Ocean Spray are offering 1.5 million ipoints customers money- off vouchers via the Internet for the first time, as part of a customer loyalty programme. ipoints.co.uk is boosting its loyalty programme by offering members money-off vouchers to use on leading branded goods in high street retailers, as well as offering them the chance to earn ipoints on their purchases..

9th May, 2007: Brand Republic
FMCGs grasp potential of the online coupon
I was interested to read that the FMCG sector reported the biggest increase to marketing budgets in the latent IPA Bellwether Report (Marketing, 18 April). Perhaps this indicatesthat FMCG firms are finally embracing online marketing. FMCG marketers can now directly influence consumers' purchasing behaviour through online campaigns. Printable coupons and vouchers, for example, provide unprecedented insight into consumer response, allowing brand managers to track and measure consumers'behaviour online and offline, from point of click to point of sale.

7th May, 2007: Precision Marketing
Customers will be lost by failure to embrace online
As online marketing breaks the 10 per cent market share barrier, why are packaged goods companies still failing to come to the party? New figures from the IAB Online Adspend study, conducted in partnership with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, reveal that in the first six months of 2006, the UK market was worth £917.2m, up 40.3 per cent on the previous year. And yet, the packaged goods industry is still slow to accept the opportunities presented by online marketing.

3rd May, 2007: New Media Age
Couponstar talks to UK brands about running online video ads
Couponstar is in talks with UK brands to present video ads prior to users downloading money-off coupons, following its work with beauty brand Olay in the US. The campaigns will feature on both its CouponNet and partners' sites, including iVillage and Bounty.

1st May, 2007: Media Week
FMCGs must smarten their acton brand interaction
New figures from the IAB Online Adspend study, with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, reveal that in the first six months of 2006,
the UK market was worth 917.2m, up 40.3%% on the previous year. And yet the fast moving consumer goods industry is still slow to accept the opportunities of online marketing.

26th April, 2007: Creative Match
GMTV launch coupon incentive
Breakfast show, GMTV, has partnered with digital marketing services provider, Couponstar, to provide visitors to the GMTV website with a range of consumer-printed coupons and vouchers for in-store redemption.

26th April, 2007: Sales Promotion
GMTV launch coupon incentive
GMTV is to launch a coupon incentive to develop its web activities and encourage higher interactivity with its viewers. The breakfast show has partnered with digital marketing services provider, Couponstar, to provide visitors to the GMTV website with a range of consumer-printed coupons and vouchers for in-store redemption.

26th April, 2007: Mad.co.uk
It's time for packaged goods to move online
With the rising costs of above-the-line media and diminishing returns from spend on TV promotion, newspapers, magazines and radio, the pressure is on fmcg companies to find an alternative cost-effective and efficient form of marketing. However, many fmcg companies still see the inability to measure the impact of online activities as a valid reason for not integrating them into marketing programmes.

26th April, 2007: UTalk Marketing
GMTV offers online coupons and vouchers
Just don’t mention the phonelines. In a bid to win back viewer loyalty and increase interactivity, visitors to the GMTV website can access a range of coupons and vouchers for in-store redemption. All users have to do is print them off.

26th April, 2007: Marketing Week
It's time for packaged goods to move online
As online marketing breaks the 10%% market share barrier, why are fmcg companies still failing to come to the party? New figures from the Internet ABO Adspend study, conducted in partnership with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, reveal that in the first six months of 2006, the UK market was worth 917.2m, up 40.3 %% on the previous year. And yet, the fmcg industry is still slow to accept the opportunities presented by online marketing.

26th April, 2007: New Media Age
GMTV and Couponstar in money-off voucher deal
GMTV has teamed up with Couponstar, the online coupon specialist,
to provide money-off vouchers for brands including Ocean Spray, Pedigree and Colgate. The coupons are available on Couponstar's CouponNet site and are redeemable at all major supermarkets.

21st April, 2007: The Grocer
FMCG marketing must go online
As online marketing breaks the 10% market share barrier, why are fmcg companies slow to come to the party? New figures from the IAB
Online Adspend study reveal that in the fast six months 2006 the UK market was worth 917.2m, up 40.3% year-on-year. However, the fmcg industry is still slowto accept the opportunities

30th March, 2007: Mad.co.uk
Taking FMCGS Online
By failing to wholeheartedly embrace online marketing, FMCG manufacturers are missing a real opportunity not only to reach a wider audience but attain a measurable increase in in-store sales insists Jared Keen, Managing Director, Couponstar Ltd.

1st March, 2007: Retail Technology
Online coupon network first
Leading FMCG brands, publishers and retailers including Colgate, emap (First Magazine) and Ocean Spray are using secure consumer-printed coupons and vouchers to engage consumers online to drive in-store sales.

1st Feb, 2007: Retail Systems
Starring Role
Couponstar is launching its CouponNET™ service, an online network for distributing consumer-printed coupons and vouchers In the UK.

1st Feb, 2007: Incentive Motivation
Technology can stop coupon campaigns going out of control
Marketers throughout the country will continue to debate whether Threshers'40 per cent off voucher campaign was a stroke of genius or a marketing trick which spiralled out of control...

1st Feb, 2007: Incentive Motivation
'Decline of offline' prompts online coupon system
An online network for distributing printable coupons and vouchers in
the UK has been launched by Couponstar. Called CouponNET™,
it provides a turnkey platform for FMCG brands and retailers to distribute coupons that can be printed out by the consumer, using a network of leading consumer websites ..

7th Dec, 2006: Marketing Week
Online coupons could help the high street
Rather than anxiously watching the till-roll figures in the build up to Christmas and investing in gimmicks in a bid to win consumers back from the internet as discussed in your article “Tis the season to go shopping” (Marketing Week November 16) major retailers should be embracing the opportunities provided by the internet to help drive in-store sales...