#1 Connect to customers wherever they are
Every consumer is on their own personal and customizable digital journey. As a marketer, you’re always looking for opportunities to interact with them on their own terms, on their own turf. Having a better and quicker online rebates customer experience gives you the power to connect by mobile, tablet, desktop—and we can even handle fax and snail-mail, if that’s what your customers want. Customers choose the location, and rebates can meet them there.
#2 Collect and use clean customer data
Customers’ information is almost as valuable as customers’ cash. Just look at Google, a world-dominating company built almost entirely on selling personal info. Getting accurate, verified, up-to-date customer data is one of the best reasons to launch rebate promotions.
When you ask for a mailing address or email so you can send a customer money, you tend to get the real deal. It’s amazing how few people claim their email address is really buzz.off@go.away.com when there’s a $20 rebate in it for them.
Getting accurate customer data is just the start. Online rebate redemption processes are an easy opportunity for customers to sign up for loyalty programs, and the redemption, confirmation and tracking journey gives you a ton of positive touchpoints to build a relationship.
#3 Arrive fast with digital fulfillment
It’s been a long time since Gran cut the bar codes off of cereal boxes and waited six to eight weeks for a coupon. Today, the best rebates are fast online rebates. With digital processing, you can send out rewards as fast as you can validate claims. For customers, that means getting an email notification and their sought-after reward while they’re still thinking about your brand.
Sending rewards through email avoids the delays and costs that crop up with printing and mailing plastic rewards. Plus, keeping everything digital cuts down on wasted materials and carbon emissions.
#4 Win the price-comparison war
Rebates help you offer lower prices. Sounds weird, but it’s actually true. Let’s say that, since you still need to make a profit, you can only offer a $10 discount on your product. If you assume a 50% rebate redemption rate, you can actually offer a deeper discount without cutting into your profits. Instead of all of your customers getting a $10 discount, half of your customers will get a $20 discount. Those motivated customers will remember getting that great deal and build more of a connection to your brand—and it’s all the same to your bottom line.
#5 Bring you the most motivated customers through rebates
In the age of extreme couponing and instant price checks by mobile phone, people are always looking for a good deal. For motivated customers, the deal itself is almost as important as the thing they’re buying.
Rebates are ideal for these folks. Our research shows that shoppers prefer a deep rebate discount over a shallow price-cut by a margin of almost two-to-one. For customers who actively seek out deals online, the simple presence of a rebate attached to your product will be an instant draw.