Reply to: Website promo codes

[NickFitz]

This method is used a lot with magazine adverts, in order to guage which magazine adverts get the better response (in order to ditch the tulip ones)

But this is a direct marketing campaign by letter, so not sure what you would be measuring - how many people bin your junk mail?

Exactly. People might make a purchase even though they threw the mail away without opening it, which would skew the figures.

It's probably not worth bothering with, but you know how these management types like to have numbers to put into their spreadsheets, whether they mean anything or not

[TheBigYinJames]

OTOH, the fact that they use the code indicates that they're responding to the mailshot, rather than just happening to make a purchase after it goes out, which could give the business some useful metrics on the effectiveness of the mailshot.

This method is used a lot with magazine adverts, in order to guage which magazine adverts get the better response (in order to ditch the tulip ones)

But this is a direct marketing campaign by letter, so not sure what you would be measuring - how many people bin your junk mail?

[NickFitz]

No need to bother with codes and getting customers to remember/not lose them.

OTOH, the fact that they use the code indicates that they're responding to the mailshot, rather than just happening to make a purchase after it goes out, which could give the business some useful metrics on the effectiveness of the mailshot.

[mailric]

Since you're awarding a discount based on their postcode, why bother giving them a promo code to enter at all?

Check their postcvode is on your D and then just say something like "you've been awarded an automatic discount"

No need for promo codes at all unless you want them to feel as if they're getting 'something', in which case just any old tulip for the code since you're not using it anyway.

Agree. Put in the letter - "youve been selected for a discount which will be applied at point of sale". Then when you spot postcode coming through apply the discount. No need to bother with codes and getting customers to remember/not lose them.

[TheBigYinJames]

No, you miss my point. The postcodes wouldn't be ticked off the first time they are used. So 20 people with the same postcode could use the promotional code, as long as that was actually their postcode. It just stops them giving the code out to all and sundry, as they will need to enter their genuine postcode when they make their purchase, which will not be valid against the database.

So basically you are offering the discount to selected postcodes, and then validating that the people putting the code in actually live in that postcode? It's a bit rough and ready, though. If they pass it to neighbours, they'll be able to use it too, only their more distant family members won't unless they live on the same street as someone else who got a code.

In effect you're offering a discount to selected people (and all their neighbours). If your marketing spreads it about a bit, you'll pretty much allow 100% coverage anyway.

[Gros]

Well it is a big problem if Aunt Gladys has the same postcode as Mr Another Customer you want to give the discount to, since when Mr Anotehr Customer logs on to get his discount, he'll be told the code has already been used, and if that doesn't p him off, nothing will.

No, you miss my point. The postcodes wouldn't be ticked off the first time they are used. So 20 people with the same postcode could use the promotional code, as long as that was actually their postcode. It just stops them giving the code out to all and sundry, as they will need to enter their genuine postcode when they make their purchase, which will not be valid against the database.

[TheBigYinJames]

No, we would be checking the full postcode, individual to them (and possibly a few other people in their street, which isn't a problem).

Well it is a big problem if Aunt Gladys has the same postcode as Mr Another Customer you want to give the discount to, since when Mr Anotehr Customer logs on to get his discount, he'll be told the code has already been used, and if that doesn't p him off, nothing will.

[Advocate]

Somebody needs to explain to the business why this idea is silly, there are two opposing requirements; that each individual must have a code and that the code must be the same.

Client: "I want the door to be open and closed at the same time..."

What they're aiming to do is possible, but their idea of implementation is fundamentally flawed.

[Gros]

But doesn't that rely on the fact that Aunt Gladys or whoever gets given the code doesn't live in a postcode area that already has a customer in it??

No, we would be checking the full postcode, individual to them (and possibly a few other people in their street, which isn't a problem).

[Mort]

I think I have a solution, tell me if you see any flaws in this.

We send out the same code to every customer, and we know the postcodes of the customers we are sending to. So, we keep a database entry mapping the promo code to each postcode sent to. Then when the code is used, the postcode is noted, and we check that it exists in the database.

That should be enough, people need to enter their valid postcode as part of the process anyway, so they would never know anything was going on. And if they got given the code by someone else, they would be presented a message saying "sorry, etc...".

Easy.

But doesn't that rely on the fact that Aunt Gladys or whoever gets given the code doesn't live in a postcode area that already has a customer in it??

[Gros]

Since you're awarding a discount based on their postcode, why bother giving them a promo code to enter at all?

Check their postcvode is on your D and then just say something like "you've been awarded an automatic discount"

No need for promo codes at all unless you want them to feel as if they're getting 'something', in which case just any old tulip for the code since you're not using it anyway.

Hey, don't question the business logic, that's not my concern! The fact is, the client wants to send out mail to specific customers offering a promo code for a discount, and they don't want it to be used by just anyone.

[TheBigYinJames]

I think I have a solution, tell me if you see any flaws in this.

Easy.

Since you're awarding a discount based on their postcode, why bother giving them a promo code to enter at all?

Check their postcvode is on your D and then just say something like "you've been awarded an automatic discount"

No need for promo codes at all unless you want them to feel as if they're getting 'something', in which case just any old tulip for the code since you're not using it anyway.

[Gros]

I think I have a solution, tell me if you see any flaws in this.

We send out the same code to every customer, and we know the postcodes of the customers we are sending to. So, we keep a database entry mapping the promo code to each postcode sent to. Then when the code is used, the postcode is noted, and we check that it exists in the database.

That should be enough, people need to enter their valid postcode as part of the process anyway, so they would never know anything was going on. And if they got given the code by someone else, they would be presented a message saying "sorry, etc...".

Easy.

[PAH]

Add the discount you're offering to the normal price you charge, then you don't need to worry how widespread the codes get distributed, in fact the wider the better.

[Sockpuppet]

MD5 thier credit card number...thats pretty unique. Bugger typing it in though.