Coupon Experts
Stephanie Nelson
Stephanie Nelson is the founder and only staff member of Cut Out Hunger.This non-profit organization, which began as a hobby three years ago, has become a personal campaign to encourage donations to food banks. You can reach Stephanie by phone at (770) 649-0447 or by e-mail at contact@couponmom.com.
CouponInfoNow.com: How important are coupons in your personal shopping behavior?
Stephanie Nelson: Coupons are an integral part of my personal shopping behavior. The Cut Out Hunger Best Deals list is a reflection of my own shopping habits: looking for sales and combining them with FSI coupons or online savings offers. I can't imagine throwing money down the drain by not using coupons.
CouponInfoNow.com: What role do you think new and alternative media will play in promotions?
Stephanie Nelson: The growing trend toward e-mail newsletters, web sites, and targeted promotions using loyalty programs provides many cost-effective marketing opportunities. Without these accessible and affordable marketing channels, I would never have been able to reach consumers with pricing information that changes weekly. Internet marketing channels are also very measurable, and can be fine-tuned quickly and easily based on consumer response. As a shopper, I appreciate the ease of online grocery offers and the automatic rebates offered through store loyalty cards and programs like Upromise. My site promotes these programs heavily.
CouponInfoNow.com: What’s your favorite source of information (other than CouponInfoNow.com, of course!), and why?
Stephanie Nelson: I read the research studies from CouponInfoNow.com as well as articles in Progressive Grocer. However, I learn the most about what is getting coupon users' attention by checking the message boards on the coupon web sites, like www.mycoupons.com with their "Tips of the Trade" shopping board.
CouponInfoNow.com: What’s the big idea about coupons that everyone seems to miss?
Stephanie Nelson: The greatest misperception about coupons is that they take too much time or are too much trouble. If shoppers can save $40 at the grocery store by spending one hour organizing coupons and planning a list, that is the equivalent of earning $55-$60 in the workplace. That's a pretty good wage for easy work. However, many shoppers do not know how to do that planning, which is why my site does the research for shoppers in the hopes they will donate food to charity.
CouponInfoNow.com: How important is it to get manufacturer and retailer support for your activities?
Stephanie Nelson: My site would not be successful in Atlanta without the advertising and collection bin support that Kroger has provided. Without an advertising budget, it is very difficult to promote a web site. Kroger has supported the effort by placing print advertising, creating in-store signs, and making collection bins available in the Atlanta stores.
SmartSource.com has supported the effort by sending e-mail messages about the program to their members in Georgia. Several more companies will be providing free advertising support in the coming months.
CouponInfoNow.com: How should manufacturers and retailers view the Cut Out Hunger concept?
Stephanie Nelson: Manufacturers and retailers should view the Cut Out Hunger concept as an incremental revenue, advertising and public relations opportunity that helps the community. Charity donors realize they can stretch their dollars further by spending them in the grocery store (as well as control how their funds are used) which could increase total industry spending. Spreading the "buy one extra item a week" concept would also increase total industry spending.
Children who use Kids Cut Out Hunger learn how to use coupons and promotional programs at an early age, skills they will never forget. The items featured on the relatively short Best Deals list benefit from increased exposure to shoppers, even if site visitors don't buy the item.
Finally, when a consumer buys an item for charity, several potential shoppers get an impression of the item -- the shopper, the volunteer who shelves the item at the charity, and the recipient of the item.
CouponInfoNow.com: How does Cut Out Hunger, as a promotional tool, compares to other options that marketers have available?
Stephanie Nelson: Because the Cut Out Hunger site provides free advertising and positive goodwill for the manufacturers and retailers featured on the Best Deals list with no investment on their part, the Cut Out Hunger program has a very positive cost/benefit equation for featured companies. Therefore, my hope would be that featured companies and industry groups would be willing to communicate and advertise the Cut Out Hunger web site to consumers.
