Valpak® Leading Industry with New Mobile and Online Coupon Redemption Tracking Tool

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Sep 13, 2012, 11:59 ET

LARGO, Fla., Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that consumers are using their mobile phones more and more – for everything from maps, to restaurant reviews, to coupons. Consumers want hyper-local results – on demand. In just three years, global mobile traffic has grown from 1 percent to a current 10 percent. * By 2015, it's predicted that mobile search will surpass desktop search.**

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But as the consumer demand for mobile coupons grows, businesses are struggling to keep pace with the rapid uptake of mobile coupon technology, with many unable or unwilling to give those mobile discounts - for fear of being taken advantage of. That can result in unhappy customers and lost revenue – two outcomes today's business owner can't afford to risk.

When it comes to mobile and online coupons, it's been a challenge for businesses to establish internal tracking systems to mitigate potentially fraudulent coupon redemption, or easily track mobile redemption and ROI and gather consumer data.

Now, Valpak, The 40-year leader in local advertising results, has created a solution to resolve those issues, giving merchants a way to track every digital Valpak coupon and e-commerce voucher that comes in the door with the new online Valpak Business Center (VBC).

"By offering our advertisers this safety blanket, they can now feel protected, and take the program full circle, closing the loop on information that was previously very difficult to track," said Michael Vivio, president of Cox of Valpak and Cox Target Media. "It provides simplified reporting to monitor their business, and gives them peace of mind."

The VBC is an online portal to manage web, mobile and e-commerce redemptions. The VBC gives merchants an easy, yet sophisticated way to track redemptions and customer spend, documenting that offers are valid, or expired. In addition, the system can track whether a customer has redeemed an offer more than once, which alleviates any lingering concerns about coupon fraud.

"SMBs are overwhelmed by the growing number of digital marketing choices available to them," said Matt Booth, chief strategy officer and program director, BIA/Kelsey. "Performance and accountability are key for SMBs in the adoption of new tools and strategies. Solutions like the Valpak Business Center, that build trust by delivering insight and transparency into campaign effectiveness, are likely to gain traction."

Not only does it track the redemptions, but the system has the added benefit of capturing purchase data, showing how much the customer spent using the coupon, and demonstrating the total value of the customer and transaction. This level of insight helps business owners understand how their customers are interacting and using the coupons so they can adjust the Valpak marketing campaign as needed.

So the pizza shop owner who wants to know the lifetime value of a consumer who originally redeems a discount can know that customers using coupons are actually spending $20 more than his average customer. The golf course owner, who was worried about customers using the same coupon over and over, can now use the VBC to track which offers are being used by which consumers.

The VBC is available from the desktop as well as through Android or iPhone mobile apps and will continue to weave in additional tools to simplify the business of business for merchants.

Valpak has always been a friend of small businesses, serving more than 54,000 businesses a year across North America.

"The VBC application is the first comprehensive tracking tool in the marketplace," said Vivio. "Other companies may offer something to redeem deals, but businesses need more. VBC wraps in all types of Valpak marketing – print, online, mobile and deals. With VBC merchants can easily see how their Valpak campaign is performing - in real time or periodically - and adjust if needed. No one else is offering that simplicity and transparency."

*Source: KPCB, May 2012, Stat Counter Global Stats
**Source: U.S. Local Media Forecast – BIA/Kelsey, March 2012

ABOUT VALPAK®
Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America, is owned and operated by Cox Target Media, along with Savings.com. With nearly 170 franchises across the United States and Canada, the signature Blue Envelope® delivers savings and value to nearly 40 million households each month. Annually, Valpak will distribute some 20 billion offers inserted in more than 500 million envelopes. Valpak also offers digital solutions with www.Valpak.com®, an online site for printable coupons, e-commerce and coupon codes, which has nearly 70 million offer views each month, as well as apps for smartphone platforms For more information about advertising with Valpak, please contact 1-800-676-6878.

ABOUT COX MEDIA GROUP
Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. Additionally, CMG owns and operates Cox Target Media, providers of Valpak, a leading North American direct marketing company and Savings.com, a leading online coupon site and community. With $1.7 billion in revenue, the company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. CMG operates in more than 30 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including 30 million TV viewers, more than 4 million print and online newspaper readers, and 18 million radio listeners. For more information about Cox Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.

Contact information:
Marsha Strickhouser
8605 Largo Lakes Drive
Largo, FL 33773
727-399-3175 – office
[email protected]

SOURCE Valpak