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Business Services Industry

Coupons go mobile

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), May 7, 2008 by Heather Caliendo

Say goodbye to the long, tedious process of clipping coupons - a fresh take is available at your fingertips. Coupons can now be accessed through mobile devices.

Taco Bueno is offering mobile coupons for all 180 locations, 45 of which are in Oklahoma.

The quick-service Mexican restaurant is in a partnership with Cellfire Inc., the first nationwide mobile coupon and discount service.

Lisa Brooks, director of marketing for Taco Bueno, said in the past the company has had success with printed coupons, and they decided to partner with Cellfire in an effort to bring in more customers.

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"This was an innovative, novel way to reach out to our customers," she said. "In the current state of the economy we do everything we can to reach customers in as many different ways as we can."

Taco Bueno currently has coupons to buy a beef muchaco or chicken potato burrito for 99 cents. Customers can save 60 to 70 cents from the original price when using mobile coupons.

Because it is a mobile application, customers won't receive spam, and they have the freedom to sign up for the discount offers of their choosing.

In order to receive the coupons, people can either subscribe through the Cellfire Web site or text 'bueno' to 22888. Web-enabled phone users are provided with a redemption code that is shown at the time of the transaction. Customers click on the coupon they desire and show it to the register clerk for redemption.

Brooks said the company tested the service at stores in the Dallas area last summer. After seeing positive response, Taco Bueno decided to take the marketing strategy systemwide.

"It's brand awareness and we hope they will increase our traffic in stores, which will ultimately increase our sales," she said. "We will rotate the coupons to keep it fresh for our customers and provide different options."

Dwight Moore, vice president of corporate marketing for Cellfire, said their mobile coupons are available through all carriers across the nation. He said because the coupons are in text message format, charges are dependent on the customer's service plan.

Traditional printed coupons have an average redemption rate of 1 percent, whereas Cellfire mobile coupons report a 5- to 15-percent rate, he said.

"It's actually driving sales, driving people to make purchases," said Moore. "Because everyone has a mobile device with them, it's an easy way to connect with consumers."

Though Cellfire's target audience is simply people with mobile phones, Moore said about 68 percent of their users are in the 18-to- 34 age bracket.

"We are finding that there is a huge breadth of customers looking to save money on dining, entertainment and groceries," he said. "It is our mission that people save anywhere by using a mobile phone."

Business Services Industry

Coupons go mobile

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), May 7, 2008 by Heather Caliendo

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