According to a new report by Juniper Research – ‘Mobile Coupons & NFC Smart Posters: Strategies, Applications & Forecasts 2009-2014' – consumer usage of mobile coupons will see users exceed 300 million globally by 2014, principally in developed markets, with the apps revolution triggering the growth of new mobile coupon services.
As more and more users acquire smart phones, says Juniper, they will want to exploit the improved capabilities of their devices with new features and services, especially when it is going to save them money. For marketers, mobile coupon campaigns sent using location based applications can be much more effectively targeted than the scattergun approach of traditional coupons.
Howard Wilcox, Senior Analyst at Juniper Research, explained: "We found that with the growth of smart phones, a growing number of coupon-specific downloadable apps are being launched, often linked to location based searches. For example, when you are in the mall and you have your smartphone on you with your downloaded coupons app, then you should be able to find your way to a good offer nearby."
However, the report also identified a number of market constraints. For example, some users could be reluctant to share their mobile number to participate in coupon schemes due to the danger of spam and fake coupons – privacy is a concern to many. Despite this and the lack of progress on NFC coupons because of the poor availability of NFC phones, the mobile coupon usage is still set to triple over the next 5 years.
Further findings include:
- ARPU from NFC coupons and smart posters will exceed ARPU from NFC payment transactions
- N. America and Western Europe to be major regions for mobile coupon usage in 2014