INFLUENCES ON CONSUMER RESPONSE TO DIRECT MAIL COUPONS - AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

A substantial and growing body of research on coupons and coupon effec tiveness has emerged in the marketing literature. The objective of thi s paper is to review and consolidate the findings of previous studies to provide a better understanding of the factors that influence consum er response to direct mail coupons. The effects of coupon, brand, prod uct category, and consumer characteristics on redemption behavior and incremental sales are examined, and their implications for the effecti veness of direct mail coupon promotions are discussed. Based on the fi ndings of prior studies, a theoretical model of coupon effects on purc hase behavior is proposed. Several key issues that need to be addresse d in future research are identified. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.