Yahoo! Leads market for mobile coupons

Coupons, Inc. and Yahoo! have expanded their current relationship to enable consumers to discover and redeem coupons from their phones while on the go. Coupons, Inc. dominates the online coupon space, with more than 800 brand relationships, thousands of coupon campaigns and the world's leading online coupon distribution network. The company will make its mobile platform immediately available to all the brands in its network.

Mobile coupons are considered a promising source of revenue for mobile publishers; they are one of the marketing tactics consumers say they would welcome as part of their mobile experience. Early tests have lacked the scale that national brand marketers who spend the most on coupon promotions expect.

“We see mobile coupons as a natural extension of our leading digital marketing platform and a way to turn coupons into a strategic marketing vehicle that delivers value,” says Steve Boom, senior VP, Mobile, Yahoo!. “Our global reach, leading position in mobile advertising and the ability to deliver the right offer to people, coupled with Coupons, Inc.'s leadership in coupons, creates a unique opportunity to define and catalyze the market for mobile coupon promotions. When consumers get a coupon they want it's not seen as an ad ? but a gift.”

Leading brands like Papa John's Pizza are lining up to take advantage of the new platform and planning mobile coupon campaigns: “Papa John's is excited about mobile coupons and is looking forward to this innovative mobile marketing opportunity,” says Jim Ensign, VP, marketing communications, Papa John's. “We see mobile coupons as a viable way of reaching our customers wherever they might be and another component of our integrated marketing campaigns.”

“Mobile coupons are a winning combination for consumers and marketers,” says Tim Bajarin, president at analysts Creative Strategies. “Anything mobile that is easy to use and helps consumers save money will be warmly accepted. This partnership has the potential to finally push past some of the issues that have prevented mobile marketing from really taking off.”