Ah, but did it work?

There’s one more question you really need to ask after distributing a coupon
or other sales promotion. This final question has little to do with the profit-
ability of the coupon program. The question is “Did the coupon achieve my
broader marketing objectives?” In other words, did your coupon do one or
more of the following:
Attract new customers, some of whom will become regular buyers
Help ward off competition
Boost sales for the period
Introduce customers to a new or improved product or service
Support or enhance other advertising or sales initiatives
Help cushion a price increase
Help cross-sell another product to existing customers
Help motivate the sales force by giving them a new sales incentive or tool
Make your distributors, retailers, or other intermediaries happy and
more willing to push your product or service
Help you gain access to greater distribution
Help you migrate customers to direct or Web-based purchasing
Increase repeat purchase rates
Maintain or increase your market share
Attract frequent switchers — those customers who are always looking
for a deal
Attract a specific, attractive segment (or group) of customers with an
offer designed for and distributed to them
Make a profit
As this lengthy list demonstrates, many reasons exist for distributing cou-
pons or offering special deals. Sometimes marketers are willing to run a
coupon program at or below break-even costs in order to accomplish their
marketing objectives. The most important objective may not be to make a
profit; it may be to give your salespeople an incentive or tool for boosting