Buy You a Drink?
One of the first uses of coupons for marketing a businesses came in the 1890s when The Coca-Cola Co.'s founder, Asa Chandler, gave out handwritten tickets for free glasses of his new beverage at soda fountains. Figures estimate that one in nine Americans between 1894 and 1913 received a free drink. That works out to 8.5 million free Cokes. Now that is increasing business!
Chandler was a big believer in advertising. In addition to his handwritten coupons, he distributed souvenir fans, clocks, calendars and other items to promote the beverage.
In 1895, just three years after The Coco-Cola Co. was incorporated, Candler announced to shareholders that Coca-Cola was drunk in every American state.
Breakfast Coupons?
C.W Post, founder of Postum Cereal Co. (later Post Cereals), helped make the coupons a common promotional tool. He used them to help sell breakfast cereal and other products. Post distributed the first grocery coupon, in 1895, which was worth 1 cent toward his new cereal -- Grape Nuts.
Needed Savings
Coupons became a norm in American households during the
The Chosen Marketing Method
By 1965, one-half of Americans used coupons, making coupon marketing an irresistible tool for businesses, large and small. Coupons also became a staple of newspapers and magazines, and weekly coupon clipping became a regular activity for families across the country.
Downturn an Upturn for Coupon Marketing
In 1975, more than 35 billion coupons were distributed among 65 percent of American households. By 2008, 89 percent of American consumers are estimated to have used coupons, at a time when prices were rising and the economic downturn was already being felt.*
* Figures from the Web site of the Promotion Marketing Association's Coupon Council.
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