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BREAKING NEWS & VIEWS
Clip ’n’ Earn: Hearst Adds CouponsMonday, April 13, 2009 Digital coupons are coming to a range of Hearst properties as the publisher looks to ride a surge in interest both in money-saving content for consumers and more localized services from national publishers. In a partnership with Coupons.com, Hearst’s Delish.com and QuickandSimple.com are now hosting coupon “galleries” that let users input their ZIP code and get discounts on products distributed in their areas. The partnership comes on the heels of very positive initial response to tests, says Hearst Magazines Digital Media VP, content and business development, Chris Johnson. “Several months back we launched a test on QuickandSimple.com to see if consumers were interested at all in downloadable coupons, and within a few months customers had downloaded more than $100,000 worth of coupons,” he says. “They are definitely pinched and looking for us to find ways to save some money and make great meals for their family.” Hearst plans to extend the strategy to Redbookmag.com and GoodHousekeeping.com. According to comScore, December 2008 online searches for the term “coupons” spiked 161% over December 2007. Coupons.com reports that throughout its network of publisher partners, shoppers printed $57 million worth of coupons in March, up 192% over same month last year. Ready-to-eat cereal, baby food and baking ingredients are the most popular categories. For Hearst the strategy of incorporating coupons has at least two key features. First, it is a revenue generator. “We serve as a distributor,” says Johnson, “so we get a few cents on every coupon printed.” Coupons also can be incorporated into the ad buy where banner ads can click directly into a printable coupon. Couponing also moves Hearst into more localized services. As national media brands look to expand their advertising and editorial opportunities, some see local as the next area to exploit. Sites like TheKnot, for instance, have launched multiple local sites to leverage local advertisers. While Hearst’s deal with Coupons.com does not have direct and immediate reach into local advertising markets, it does serve to make a national magazine brand more locally relevant. For the time being, coupons at both Delish.com and QuickandSimple.com live in their own gallery silo. As the model evolves, however, Johnson sees the format becoming more integrated with the editorial. “We will probably do some tests with e-mail coupons,” he says. Even more promising is incorporating coupon opportunities into the recipes and food articles at the sites. Users couple get savings directly within recipes or even make recipe choices based on the available coupons. If you have breaking news to share please contact Steve Smith at ssmith@accessintel.com
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