• by September 1, 2000

By Masha Geller

Coupons.com today announced the release of its new technology, which provides advertisers with the ability to coupon-enable their online banner and opt-in email campaigns.

And advertisers the likes of Lenscrafters, Fingerhut, Choice Hotels, Cooking.com, Linens-n-Things, Disney.com and Radio Shack are already on board.

The “adBricks” program is a component of the Coupons.com “Bricks” infrastructure that provides print-at-home couponing and will be served by major third-party ad networks and permission marketing companies such as 24/7 Media and Promotions.com. Additional licensing agreements will be announced next week.

The benefits of using coupons in ad campaigns have already been proven by the traditional media, but as Troy Mastin, Advertising and Marketing Services Analyst at the William Blair & Company, said, “The coupon-enabled banner ad may be the breakthrough needed to draw substantial offline marketing dollars from consumer packaged goods companies and franchise retailers into the online world.”

Mastin said the coupon-enabled banner provides an incentive for consumers to interact with an ad while driving volume and creating a more powerful brand advertising mechanism, and, he said, “Perhaps more importantly, this innovation includes an effective and unique means to track marketing effectiveness.”

The “adBricks” program places a unique, one-time use only, coded link directly in traditional banners served and seen all over the Internet, or within the context of a targeted email campaign. When the links are activated, the offer data is transferred directly to the consumer's printer. Offers are based on each merchant's unique specifications, and can be printed on any printer for in-store redemption.

All Coupons.com “Bricks” coupons now contain an encrypted 2D bar code (PDF417). When paired with the closed-loop redemption tracking provided by the advertiser's coupon-clearing partner, the 2D barcode provides full lifecycle tracking and reporting. Advertisers now have the ability to track impressions, coupon print counts, and finally, physical in-store redemption rates and resulting product sales.

“'adBricks' allows us to add another level to our already successful relationship with Coupons.com,” stated Eileen Barrett, VeryFine Products, Inc. “This technology will provide us with the ability to reach out to our customers through email and instantly reward them with a secure coupon that can be redeemed at their local retailer.”

“Bricks” and “adBricks” leverage the Coupons.com network, requiring nothing more than a zip code to provide customers with more than 35,000 local, national and online coupons. The Coupons.com desktop application allows consumers to instantly receive discount offers. An icon located in the corner of the screen alerts the consumer when new and relevant offers are available. In addition, Coupons.com offers recipes, shopping columns, movie reviews, sweepstakes, contests