CA1110676A - Multi-product coupon - Google Patents
Multi-product couponInfo
- Publication number
- CA1110676A CA1110676A CA337,327A CA337327A CA1110676A CA 1110676 A CA1110676 A CA 1110676A CA 337327 A CA337327 A CA 337327A CA 1110676 A CA1110676 A CA 1110676A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- stamps
- coupon
- product
- retail
- base portion
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
- B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
- B42D15/00—Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
Abstract
-i-MULTI-PRODUCT COUPON
ABSTRACT
A printed promotional coupon comprises a multiple-product base coupon and a plurality of product stamps. The product stamps bear indicia defining a coupon redemption value for a particular product purchase. The coupon acquires value and becomes effective only by the affixing of one or more stamps onto the base coupon, each at a location which bears indicia corresponding to the associated stamp. The coupon holder can determine the overall redemption value of the coupon by selecting the number of stamps affixed, cor-responding to the number of different products purchased at any retail store carrying the products. In one embodiment, the base coupon and product stamp form a single sheet, with the product stamps being detachable from the base coupon.
In another embodiment, the product stamps are on a card or sheet separate from but distributed with the base coupon.
ABSTRACT
A printed promotional coupon comprises a multiple-product base coupon and a plurality of product stamps. The product stamps bear indicia defining a coupon redemption value for a particular product purchase. The coupon acquires value and becomes effective only by the affixing of one or more stamps onto the base coupon, each at a location which bears indicia corresponding to the associated stamp. The coupon holder can determine the overall redemption value of the coupon by selecting the number of stamps affixed, cor-responding to the number of different products purchased at any retail store carrying the products. In one embodiment, the base coupon and product stamp form a single sheet, with the product stamps being detachable from the base coupon.
In another embodiment, the product stamps are on a card or sheet separate from but distributed with the base coupon.
Description
BACKGROUND ART
This invention relates to promotion and marketing techniques and more particularly to marketing techniques which involve distribution of product discount coupons redeemed for consumer products at retail stores.
The use of coupons by product manufacturers is well known for promoting sales in retail store outlets, offering customers chances to save money or get discounts on particular products or services. "Coupon clipping" has long been a popular practice among consumers, and the use of coupons as a successful sales and marketing tool has been well proven.
Conventional coupons, however, specify savings for a single product (which often requires a shopper to sort through a bagful or drawerful of discount coupons in order to find those desired) and they involve payment of a handling charge of approximately five cents for each coupon, to be paid by the coupon sponsor to the retailer redeeming the coupon.
The present invention involves a multi-product coupon, which both decreases the number of coupons which the shopper must store and carry, and eliminates the multiplicity of costly handling charges.
The closest prior art known is U.S. Patent No. 3,582,111 issued on June 1, 1971 to Donald H. Siiter. The Siiter patent discloses a marketin~ technique whereby a plurality of stamps are distributed to customers through periodicals such as magazines or newspapers. The stamps are intended to be affixed to specified value base coupons which are printed on one of the regular pages of the same periodical, and by affixing particular stamps to these base coupons, the cash saving or discount value is thereby increased beyond the original specified value of the base coupon~ The stamps are designed to represent potential savings on coupons distributed over a period of time, i.e., some stamps would be used during the current week, other stamps the next week and still other stamps the week after. Since the base coupons ., ~
would be distributed during the different weeks, the customer was required to save the stamps (which were distributed only during the first week), and was also required to purchase later editions of the periodical to be certain that he received all of the base coupons. This marketing technique is intend-ed to require customers to purchase the periodicals, to get the base coupon in order to use the stamps, as well as to provide cash savings to the customers on the products identified by the coupon and stamps.
Magazine subscription offers, such as those made by Publisher's Clearing House, use the concept of a base card or sheet to which the sub-scriber affixes stamps corresponding to the magazine subscriptions purchased.
The affixing of these stamps, however, does not create a coupon having any retail product redemption value. It is only a convenient, clever way of identifying a choice of magazine subscriptions. The same result could be achieved by writing the desired magazine choices on an order blank.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a multiple retail product coupon freely redeemable at different retail stores and having a variable retail product purchase discount value selectively determined by the retail consumer comprising:
A) a unitary base portion with no indicated value having a plura-lity of indicia-defined locations each designating a different type or number of retail consumer products; and B) a plurality of discount stamps, each bearing indicia defining ;~; one said different type or number of retail consumer products and a product discount redemption value, each fixedly mountable to the base portion at a designated indicia-defined location, the combination of the base portion and the fixedly mounted discount stamps creating a unitary retail store-redeemable multi-discount coupon having one of a plurality of retail redemption values .. ~ ~ . ,. . : . .
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.
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...
determined solely by the consumer's selection from among the fixedly mounted discount stamps.
The coupon of the present invention does not make additional purchases a prerequisite to redemption of the coupon, as does that of Siiter.
The invention disclosed in Siiter also uses only traditional single product coupons, whereas the present inven~ion uses a unique multi-product coupon.
The base coupons in Siiter also have a specified redemption value without the stamp, whereas the present invention embodies a base coupon having no redemption value without one or more affixed stamps.
The present invention, unlike the above described maga~ine sub-scription coupons, comprises a multiple product coupon which is formed by the consumer himself and is redeemable at any retail store carrying the designated products. Additionally, no mail-order redemption is provided by the present invention.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for manufacturing and using a multiple product discount coupon freely redeemable at retail stores and having a retail redemption value, determined by the retail consumer, comprising the steps of:
A~ printing a unitary discount coupon base portion with no indicated value bearing a plurality of indicia-defined locations each designa-;~ ting a different number or type of retail consumer product;
B) printing a plurality of indicia-bearing retail product dis-count stamps each identifying one said different number or type of retail consumer product, C) providing means for fixedly mounting one or more of the plura-lity of stamps upon the base portion at the respective designated indicia-defined locations to form a discount coupon having a retail redemption value determined solely by the affixed stamps;
"'' - ' -D) distributing the unitary base portion and the indicia-bearing stamps together in a high-circulation volume distribution step, and E) redeeming the discount coupon through retail outlets for the designated number or type of retail merchandise items of higher value at the discount redemption value indicated by the affixed stamps.
With the present invention there is a single opportunity for retail redemption of the redeemable coupon, thereby creating incentive to purchase additional retail items.
The present invention reduces the handling expense charges by pro-viding a multi-product single-coupon format, thereby permitting additional savings to be passed on to the coupon holder.
-.. . . -. : . , .-.
.
` ~111~676 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a representative multi-product coupon having a variable, customer determined redemption value.
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a periodical showing a multi-product coupon similar to that in FIGURE 1.
,..................................................... j BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a multi-product variable value coupon comprising a base coupon sheet 21 and a plurality of product stamps 22. The base coupon sheet 21 further comprises a coupon information area 23 and product.designating loca ions 24A through 24F. The product stamps 22 further comprise ~ndividual product designating stamps 25A through 25F.
Each of the product designating stamps 25A through 25F
may preferably correspond to a particular product designating location 24A through 24F, i.e., product stamp 25A corresponds to product designating location 24A, product stamp 25B
corresponds to location 24B and so on, or the product locations 24A-24F may be designated generally, such as by numbers or letters.
In FIGURE 1, the plurality of product stamps 22 is integral with the base coupon sheet 21, and detachable therefr.om along perforation 26. Adjoining product designating stamps ?5A through 25F are also detachable from one another along~perforations 27. The product designating stamps 25A
through 25F are gummed on the back in order to be easily affixed to the product designating locations 24A through 24~, and it is evident that other forms of adhesive may be used or the adhesive may be applied to locations 24 rather , than the backs of stamps 25 without changing the operation of the present invention.
In FIGURE 2, the base coupon 21 is shown separate from the gummed or adhesive backed product stamps 22. This would occur in a situation such as when the base coupon was printed as a part of a newspaper page, with the product stamps being a part of a separate pop-up card or free-standing insert.
FIGURE 2 shows the product stamps 22 bound into a periodical 30 by staple 31. It is clear that as long as the base coupon and the product stamps are distributed at the same time, no physical attachment is necessary in their distribution.
The single-sheet configuration of FIGURE 1 has the advantage of minimizing or avoiding inadvertent separation of stamps from coupon, and inadvertent losses of one or the other by the retail consumer before product selection and coupon redemption have been completed.
The use of the multi-product coupon in marketing campaigns will now be described. The customer can receive his multi-product coupon in a number of ways, - among them direct mail distribution or distribution in periodicals. It is contemplated that most customers will receive their multi-product coupons through periodicals such as magazines or newspapers. By themseIves, the base coupon and the product designating stamps possess no retail redemption value until the stamps are affixed to the coupon. The coupon acquires retail redemption value only when one or more particular product-designating stamps are affixed to locations on the base coupon. The value of the coupon is then determined by the cash redemption value printed on each stamp. In this way, customers can choose which products they wish to purchase by the selection offered by the stamps. They are under no obligation, but rather can purchase as many or as few products as they wish. It is e~ident, however, that the redemption value of the coupon increases with the number of products purchased. It is intended that the multi-product coupon be redeemable at any retail store that carries the associated products.
By providing only one base coupon and hence only one opportunity for coupon redemption, the retail product manufacturer or coupon sponsor increases the incentive for the customer to purchase additional products. Given only one opportunity, the customer would be expected to seize this opportunity to purchase immediate need items as well as anticipated future need items. In this way, the coupon sponsor or manufacturer can print stamps corresponding to a wide range of products. The "one-shot" coupon then will cause many customers to purchase a selection of products in - order to save money under the assumption that the product would be purchased sooner or later anyway. Newly introduced products can also be marketed in this way successfully, as the multiple-product coupon gives the consumer an added impetus to try new or different products.
An important advantage of the single multi-product coupon is in the reduction of handling charges. In all cases the retail store or individual redeeming a coupon receives a handling charge of approximately five cents for each coupon redeemed from the coupon sponsor or manufacturer, in addition to the coupon redemption value. The present invention, however, by providing only one coupon for a number of products, eliminates the multiple handling charges that would need to be paid if each of the products represented an individual coupon. These savings can be passed on to the ~ consumer as increased coupon redemption values. By eliminating individual coupons for a number of products, the manufacturer can save money in coupon printing and distribution costs.
Each FIGURE shows a multi-product coupon offering a total of six products. This is not intended to be any limitation but is shown merely as an example. Any number of products may be offered as determined by the coupon sponsor or manufacturer. It is also possible that the number of product stamps offered may be greater than the number of locations on the base coupon. In this case, the product locations would be designated generally, such as by the notation "Product 1" or "Selection 1". In the situation where the number of products available equaled the number of product locations, the locations can be specifically identified by product name. The customer can then affix the desired stamps to the corresponding locations on the base coupon.
By providing only one coupon for the customer to redeem, it is much easier for the manufacturer to predict a coupon rate of redemption in order to assure that sufficient products are distributed to allow for increased sales based on coupon redemption. It is much more difficult to predict coupon redemption rates when a large number of individual coupons are involved as customers may save certain coupons for a period of time before redeeming them.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
This invention relates to promotion and marketing techniques and more particularly to marketing techniques which involve distribution of product discount coupons redeemed for consumer products at retail stores.
The use of coupons by product manufacturers is well known for promoting sales in retail store outlets, offering customers chances to save money or get discounts on particular products or services. "Coupon clipping" has long been a popular practice among consumers, and the use of coupons as a successful sales and marketing tool has been well proven.
Conventional coupons, however, specify savings for a single product (which often requires a shopper to sort through a bagful or drawerful of discount coupons in order to find those desired) and they involve payment of a handling charge of approximately five cents for each coupon, to be paid by the coupon sponsor to the retailer redeeming the coupon.
The present invention involves a multi-product coupon, which both decreases the number of coupons which the shopper must store and carry, and eliminates the multiplicity of costly handling charges.
The closest prior art known is U.S. Patent No. 3,582,111 issued on June 1, 1971 to Donald H. Siiter. The Siiter patent discloses a marketin~ technique whereby a plurality of stamps are distributed to customers through periodicals such as magazines or newspapers. The stamps are intended to be affixed to specified value base coupons which are printed on one of the regular pages of the same periodical, and by affixing particular stamps to these base coupons, the cash saving or discount value is thereby increased beyond the original specified value of the base coupon~ The stamps are designed to represent potential savings on coupons distributed over a period of time, i.e., some stamps would be used during the current week, other stamps the next week and still other stamps the week after. Since the base coupons ., ~
would be distributed during the different weeks, the customer was required to save the stamps (which were distributed only during the first week), and was also required to purchase later editions of the periodical to be certain that he received all of the base coupons. This marketing technique is intend-ed to require customers to purchase the periodicals, to get the base coupon in order to use the stamps, as well as to provide cash savings to the customers on the products identified by the coupon and stamps.
Magazine subscription offers, such as those made by Publisher's Clearing House, use the concept of a base card or sheet to which the sub-scriber affixes stamps corresponding to the magazine subscriptions purchased.
The affixing of these stamps, however, does not create a coupon having any retail product redemption value. It is only a convenient, clever way of identifying a choice of magazine subscriptions. The same result could be achieved by writing the desired magazine choices on an order blank.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a multiple retail product coupon freely redeemable at different retail stores and having a variable retail product purchase discount value selectively determined by the retail consumer comprising:
A) a unitary base portion with no indicated value having a plura-lity of indicia-defined locations each designating a different type or number of retail consumer products; and B) a plurality of discount stamps, each bearing indicia defining ;~; one said different type or number of retail consumer products and a product discount redemption value, each fixedly mountable to the base portion at a designated indicia-defined location, the combination of the base portion and the fixedly mounted discount stamps creating a unitary retail store-redeemable multi-discount coupon having one of a plurality of retail redemption values .. ~ ~ . ,. . : . .
~ ' ~ , . ' , . '~
.
, .- ~
., . ~ ,.
. . .
~. . .
' " ' : ' ~ ': -' ' ~
...
determined solely by the consumer's selection from among the fixedly mounted discount stamps.
The coupon of the present invention does not make additional purchases a prerequisite to redemption of the coupon, as does that of Siiter.
The invention disclosed in Siiter also uses only traditional single product coupons, whereas the present inven~ion uses a unique multi-product coupon.
The base coupons in Siiter also have a specified redemption value without the stamp, whereas the present invention embodies a base coupon having no redemption value without one or more affixed stamps.
The present invention, unlike the above described maga~ine sub-scription coupons, comprises a multiple product coupon which is formed by the consumer himself and is redeemable at any retail store carrying the designated products. Additionally, no mail-order redemption is provided by the present invention.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for manufacturing and using a multiple product discount coupon freely redeemable at retail stores and having a retail redemption value, determined by the retail consumer, comprising the steps of:
A~ printing a unitary discount coupon base portion with no indicated value bearing a plurality of indicia-defined locations each designa-;~ ting a different number or type of retail consumer product;
B) printing a plurality of indicia-bearing retail product dis-count stamps each identifying one said different number or type of retail consumer product, C) providing means for fixedly mounting one or more of the plura-lity of stamps upon the base portion at the respective designated indicia-defined locations to form a discount coupon having a retail redemption value determined solely by the affixed stamps;
"'' - ' -D) distributing the unitary base portion and the indicia-bearing stamps together in a high-circulation volume distribution step, and E) redeeming the discount coupon through retail outlets for the designated number or type of retail merchandise items of higher value at the discount redemption value indicated by the affixed stamps.
With the present invention there is a single opportunity for retail redemption of the redeemable coupon, thereby creating incentive to purchase additional retail items.
The present invention reduces the handling expense charges by pro-viding a multi-product single-coupon format, thereby permitting additional savings to be passed on to the coupon holder.
-.. . . -. : . , .-.
.
` ~111~676 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a representative multi-product coupon having a variable, customer determined redemption value.
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a periodical showing a multi-product coupon similar to that in FIGURE 1.
,..................................................... j BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a multi-product variable value coupon comprising a base coupon sheet 21 and a plurality of product stamps 22. The base coupon sheet 21 further comprises a coupon information area 23 and product.designating loca ions 24A through 24F. The product stamps 22 further comprise ~ndividual product designating stamps 25A through 25F.
Each of the product designating stamps 25A through 25F
may preferably correspond to a particular product designating location 24A through 24F, i.e., product stamp 25A corresponds to product designating location 24A, product stamp 25B
corresponds to location 24B and so on, or the product locations 24A-24F may be designated generally, such as by numbers or letters.
In FIGURE 1, the plurality of product stamps 22 is integral with the base coupon sheet 21, and detachable therefr.om along perforation 26. Adjoining product designating stamps ?5A through 25F are also detachable from one another along~perforations 27. The product designating stamps 25A
through 25F are gummed on the back in order to be easily affixed to the product designating locations 24A through 24~, and it is evident that other forms of adhesive may be used or the adhesive may be applied to locations 24 rather , than the backs of stamps 25 without changing the operation of the present invention.
In FIGURE 2, the base coupon 21 is shown separate from the gummed or adhesive backed product stamps 22. This would occur in a situation such as when the base coupon was printed as a part of a newspaper page, with the product stamps being a part of a separate pop-up card or free-standing insert.
FIGURE 2 shows the product stamps 22 bound into a periodical 30 by staple 31. It is clear that as long as the base coupon and the product stamps are distributed at the same time, no physical attachment is necessary in their distribution.
The single-sheet configuration of FIGURE 1 has the advantage of minimizing or avoiding inadvertent separation of stamps from coupon, and inadvertent losses of one or the other by the retail consumer before product selection and coupon redemption have been completed.
The use of the multi-product coupon in marketing campaigns will now be described. The customer can receive his multi-product coupon in a number of ways, - among them direct mail distribution or distribution in periodicals. It is contemplated that most customers will receive their multi-product coupons through periodicals such as magazines or newspapers. By themseIves, the base coupon and the product designating stamps possess no retail redemption value until the stamps are affixed to the coupon. The coupon acquires retail redemption value only when one or more particular product-designating stamps are affixed to locations on the base coupon. The value of the coupon is then determined by the cash redemption value printed on each stamp. In this way, customers can choose which products they wish to purchase by the selection offered by the stamps. They are under no obligation, but rather can purchase as many or as few products as they wish. It is e~ident, however, that the redemption value of the coupon increases with the number of products purchased. It is intended that the multi-product coupon be redeemable at any retail store that carries the associated products.
By providing only one base coupon and hence only one opportunity for coupon redemption, the retail product manufacturer or coupon sponsor increases the incentive for the customer to purchase additional products. Given only one opportunity, the customer would be expected to seize this opportunity to purchase immediate need items as well as anticipated future need items. In this way, the coupon sponsor or manufacturer can print stamps corresponding to a wide range of products. The "one-shot" coupon then will cause many customers to purchase a selection of products in - order to save money under the assumption that the product would be purchased sooner or later anyway. Newly introduced products can also be marketed in this way successfully, as the multiple-product coupon gives the consumer an added impetus to try new or different products.
An important advantage of the single multi-product coupon is in the reduction of handling charges. In all cases the retail store or individual redeeming a coupon receives a handling charge of approximately five cents for each coupon redeemed from the coupon sponsor or manufacturer, in addition to the coupon redemption value. The present invention, however, by providing only one coupon for a number of products, eliminates the multiple handling charges that would need to be paid if each of the products represented an individual coupon. These savings can be passed on to the ~ consumer as increased coupon redemption values. By eliminating individual coupons for a number of products, the manufacturer can save money in coupon printing and distribution costs.
Each FIGURE shows a multi-product coupon offering a total of six products. This is not intended to be any limitation but is shown merely as an example. Any number of products may be offered as determined by the coupon sponsor or manufacturer. It is also possible that the number of product stamps offered may be greater than the number of locations on the base coupon. In this case, the product locations would be designated generally, such as by the notation "Product 1" or "Selection 1". In the situation where the number of products available equaled the number of product locations, the locations can be specifically identified by product name. The customer can then affix the desired stamps to the corresponding locations on the base coupon.
By providing only one coupon for the customer to redeem, it is much easier for the manufacturer to predict a coupon rate of redemption in order to assure that sufficient products are distributed to allow for increased sales based on coupon redemption. It is much more difficult to predict coupon redemption rates when a large number of individual coupons are involved as customers may save certain coupons for a period of time before redeeming them.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
Claims (8)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A multiple retail product coupon freely redeemable at different retail stores and having a variable retail product purchase discount value selectively determined by the retail consumer comprising:
A) a unitary base portion with no indicated value having a plur-ality of indicia-defined locations each designating a different type or number of retail consumer products; and B) a plurality of discount stamps, each bearing indicia defining one said different type or number of retail consumer products and a product discount redemption value, each fixedly mountable to the base portion at a designated indicia-defined location, the combination of the base portion and the fixedly mounted discount stamps creating a unitary retail store-redeem-able multi-discount coupon having one of a plurality of retail redemption values determined solely by the consumer's selection from among the fixedly mounted discount stamps.
A) a unitary base portion with no indicated value having a plur-ality of indicia-defined locations each designating a different type or number of retail consumer products; and B) a plurality of discount stamps, each bearing indicia defining one said different type or number of retail consumer products and a product discount redemption value, each fixedly mountable to the base portion at a designated indicia-defined location, the combination of the base portion and the fixedly mounted discount stamps creating a unitary retail store-redeem-able multi-discount coupon having one of a plurality of retail redemption values determined solely by the consumer's selection from among the fixedly mounted discount stamps.
2. The coupon defined in Claim 1, wherein a redemption value is created only upon the mounting of the stamps to the unitary base portion.
3. The coupon defined in Claim 2, wherein the stamps incorporate a backing comprising an adhesive material.
4, The coupon defined in Claim 3, wherein the plurality of stamps and the base portion form a unitary sheet, with the stamps disposed at the periphery thereof and detachable from the base portion for fixable mounting to the designated indicia-defined locations of the base portion.
5. The coupon defined in Claim 3, wherein the plurality of stamps form a sheet separate from the base portion, the stamps being individually separable for fixable mounting to the designated indicia-defined locations of the base portion.
6. A method for manufacturing and using a multiple product discount coupon freely redeemable at retail stores and having a retail redemption value, determined by the retail consumer, comprising the steps of:
A) printing a unitary discount coupon base portion with no indicat-ed value bearing a plurality of indicia-defined locations each designating a different number or type of retail consumer product;
B) printing a plurality of indicia-bearing retail product discount stamps each identifying one said different number or type of retail consumer product, C) providing means for fixedly mounting one or more of the plura-lity of stamps upon the base portion at the respective designated indicia-defined locations to form a discount coupon having a retail redemption value determined solely by the affixed stamps;
D) distributing the unitary base portion and the indicia-bearing stamps together in a high-circulation volume distribution step, and E) redeeming the discount coupon through retail outlets for the designated number or type of retail merchandise items of higher value at the discount redemption value indicated by the affixed stamps.
A) printing a unitary discount coupon base portion with no indicat-ed value bearing a plurality of indicia-defined locations each designating a different number or type of retail consumer product;
B) printing a plurality of indicia-bearing retail product discount stamps each identifying one said different number or type of retail consumer product, C) providing means for fixedly mounting one or more of the plura-lity of stamps upon the base portion at the respective designated indicia-defined locations to form a discount coupon having a retail redemption value determined solely by the affixed stamps;
D) distributing the unitary base portion and the indicia-bearing stamps together in a high-circulation volume distribution step, and E) redeeming the discount coupon through retail outlets for the designated number or type of retail merchandise items of higher value at the discount redemption value indicated by the affixed stamps.
7. The method for manufacturing and using a multiple product discount coupon defined in Claim 6, wherein the unitary base portion and the plurality of stamps are printed as a unitary sheet with the stamps disposed at the periphery thereof and detachable from the base portion for fixable mounting to the designated indicia-defined locations of the base portion.
8. The method for manufacturing and using a multiple product discount coupon defined in Claim 6, wherein the plurality of stamps is printed as a sheet separate from the unitary base portion, the stamps being individually separable for fixable mounting to the designated indicia-defined locations of the base portion.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US05/949,946 US4195864A (en) | 1978-10-10 | 1978-10-10 | Multi-product coupon |
| US949,946 | 1978-10-10 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1110676A true CA1110676A (en) | 1981-10-13 |
Family
ID=25489716
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA337,327A Expired CA1110676A (en) | 1978-10-10 | 1979-10-10 | Multi-product coupon |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4195864A (en) |
| EP (1) | EP0011917A1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1110676A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US9792616B2 (en) | 2008-11-04 | 2017-10-17 | Sony Corporation | Method for generating an electronic coupon, coupon holding device, system for generating an electronic coupon, electronic coupon and computer program product |
Families Citing this family (53)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4307900A (en) * | 1979-11-19 | 1981-12-29 | The Cooperative Marketing Co. | Promotional coupon vehicle |
| US4601490A (en) * | 1983-10-13 | 1986-07-22 | George F. Valassis & Company | Multi-coupon sweepstakes promotion vehicle |
| US4722554A (en) * | 1986-08-27 | 1988-02-02 | St. Ives Laboratories, Inc. | Alternative-value paper refund form |
| US4817990A (en) * | 1987-09-14 | 1989-04-04 | Lee Krost Associates Inc. | Multiple value coupon system |
| US5102168A (en) * | 1990-05-30 | 1992-04-07 | Raymond Gold | Retail couponing system |
| US5052718A (en) * | 1990-06-13 | 1991-10-01 | Raymond Gold | Retail couponing system |
| CA2052699A1 (en) * | 1990-10-19 | 1992-04-20 | Stephen L. Merkel | Method and apparatus for monitoring parameters of coating material dispensing systems and processes by analysis of swirl pattern dynamics |
| AU654253B2 (en) * | 1992-05-15 | 1994-10-27 | D.N.P. Nominees Pty. Ltd. | Peel off coupon redemption card and tracking system |
| GB9216965D0 (en) * | 1992-08-11 | 1992-09-23 | Constantine William | Pictorial competition entry method and means |
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| DE7132745U (en) * | 1971-11-11 | Damaschke & Co Grossdruckerei Und Faltschachtelwerk | Brochure sheet with detachable requirement signs | |
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| US3042426A (en) * | 1959-11-05 | 1962-07-03 | Check Out Advertising Inc | Folded cash register tape |
| US3520560A (en) * | 1968-09-04 | 1970-07-14 | Consumers Circulation Co Inc | Insert advertising sheet |
| US3582111A (en) * | 1969-06-26 | 1971-06-01 | Donald H Siiter | Periodical and insert sheet therefor |
-
1978
- 1978-10-10 US US05/949,946 patent/US4195864A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1979
- 1979-10-08 EP EP79302136A patent/EP0011917A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1979-10-10 CA CA337,327A patent/CA1110676A/en not_active Expired
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| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US9792616B2 (en) | 2008-11-04 | 2017-10-17 | Sony Corporation | Method for generating an electronic coupon, coupon holding device, system for generating an electronic coupon, electronic coupon and computer program product |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US4195864A (en) | 1980-04-01 |
| EP0011917A1 (en) | 1980-06-11 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |