New York, NY (October 20, 2009) -- News America Marketing, a division of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS), today announced that its SmartSource coupons will be going mobile on Sunday, October 25th. That’s the day that the SmartSource Magazine coupon insert will be carrying a message to 68 million households, that they can get additional coupons by texting the word “coupons” to the number 87415. In response, thirteen exclusive coupon offers will be sent to their phone with an opt-in prompt asking for their e-mail address and permission to send them additional mobile offers in the future. The coupons will then be sent to the e-mail address that’s entered, allowing the consumer to print them at their convenience using SmartSource.com’s secure printable coupon technology.
While newspapers are still far and away the leading source for most of Americans’ coupons, News America is intent on finding new ways to reach coupon users. According to Scarborough research, “8.6 million, (or 8 percent) of U.S. households currently acquire coupons via text messages and/or e-mail.”
“We believe that SmartSource Mobile’s couponing solution will provide the needed reach, scalability and coupon security that the consumer packaged goods community has been asking for in a mobile solution,” said Henri Lellouche, SVP, iGroup, News America Marketing. “Digital couponing is beyond the testing/acceptance phase with the CPG community, and it is now News America’s goal to bring this channel to critical mass through multiple consumer contact points.”
For the October 25th launch there will be coupons from Kotex, Huggies, Trident, Jimmy Dean, Kellogg and Tyson, totaling $17.50 in savings and ranging in value from 50 cents to $3.00. The coupons will remain available until November 8th.
“We are pleased to be able to provide an additional savings opportunity to consumers at a time when budgets are still being stretched to their limits, “ said Chris Mixson, President, News America Marketing. “We are committed to continuing to offer coupons wherever consumers prefer to find them, whether in the newspapers, online, in-store, or on their mobile devices.”
News America Marketing®, a division of News Corporation, is the leading single-source provider of consumer marketing services. The company’s product portfolio, marketed under the SmartSource® brand name, consists of the first branded free-standing insert, known as SmartSource Magazine®, various in-store marketing products, merchandising services, database marketing tools and online promotions. These products and services allow marketers to deliver a brand message to over 200 million consumers each month via a network of 1,500 newspapers and over 50,000 supermarket, drug, office, mass merchandisers and dollar-store locations across the country, including Kroger, SuperValu, Safeway, Publix, Food Lion, CVS, Rite Aid Walgreens, Staples, Family Dollar and Dollar General.