The content of this article was put together using information provided by Valassis 2017 Coupon Intelligent report and details provided by Alex Papaconstantinou, CEO of Wikigains.com, a major coupon website that operates in the United Kingdom.

Any mum that goes shopping loves coupons and wants more bang for her buck. At the same time, any good marketer knows that understanding mums is key to any successful marketing strategy that targets this demographic.

When parents go shopping they usually look for deals on kids’ furniture, groceries, kids’ shoes and clothes, and things for the garden and house. Parents with young kids are generally loyal to certain brands. However, it’s important to note that they don’t always base their purchasing decisions on their favourite brands. According to a consumer study by Valassis, a leading intelligent media delivery company, coupons and in-store deals hold a lot of sway over what mums buy at the end. The UK-based study reveals that eight out of every ten parents make their buying decisions based on what’s on offer.

Mum’s get influenced by vouchers

Speaking of coupons and shopping lists, they often go hand in hand. According to a recent study conducted by Kantar, most parents bring a shopping list with them to the store. However, discount codes can greatly influence the content of that shopping list.

Valassis’ study shows that 69% of the brand-loyal consumers don’t mind switching brands if they’re offered discount coupons. Of course, most of those consumers get their coupons via email or apps. For instance, let’s take a 50% discount coupon for a bottle of Mac Ivors Cider. Upon receiving an email containing that coupon, an average parent would immediately be more likely to buy that particular brand of cider over any other. Once again, the statistics support this theory. Approximately 20% of shoppers claim that their purchasing decisions are highly influenced by discount deals they get on their phones.

Mums share vouchers

Interestingly enough, the influence of coupons and discounts doesn’t end at the purchase transaction. After getting a receipt, 53% of consumers scan it with their mobile device to receive cashback and reward points. As you might imagine, this gives marketers an opportunity to use reward programs in order to build future relationships with the consumers.

Unsurprisingly, according to the same research, 60% of consumers claim that they don’t mind sharing brand reviews. The percentage is even higher for people that use mobile phones or tablets; After a successful purchase, 79% of mobile phone coupon users are likely to share with their friends how much money they managed to save on a well-known brand.

Why understanding how vouchers work is important for marketers

It all comes down to happy mums influencing other mums and creating additional sales for the vendors. Friends and family can be key influencers. When stores release shareable discount coupons, they simplify the way mums communicate their satisfaction. Sharing can take place naturally, via blog posts, reviews of products they have used, or posting photographs of their kids using the products on Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks to mums serving as advertisers via Social Media or word of mouth, brands can easily impact the purchasing decisions of other mums. For this reason, many brands are starting to focus on reaching these out to mums and ensure they have a very positive shopping experience, whether that is online or offline.