He is scanning what seems to be some sort of multi-function, universal machine that the person in front of you has in her hand. Wait a minute; the cost of some of her items is going down. Maybe this shopper is a VIP; she seems to have a new kind of high-tech, discount device.

Incidentally, there are about 60 million other “VIPs” who carry the very same “high-tech discount device” as the shopper in front of you at the register. That’s the estimated number of Smartphone users in the United States at the end of 2009, according to Nielsen and CTIA. That number is growing, and rapidly.

The cashier was scanning mobile coupons from the shopper’s Smartphone. This process is certainly not new, but is relatively young in ad marketing. It’s as easy as texting a keyword to a particular code, opting in, and choosing your coupons. Then, sit back and wait on the discounts to hit your phone.

www.flickr.com/photos/dpstyles/3040163572/

www.flickr.com/photos/dpstyles // CC BY 2.0

Mobile marketing is and has been a buzz in the industry for a while now, and it’s not going away. More and more people are buying Smartphones every day. And, with this, the potential within the mobile marketing sector is growing exponentially. This method’s potential is due to several things. Notably, ease of use (explained in the previous paragraph), the elimination of paper waste, and a higher redemption rate than traditional coupons.

Paper waste is virtually eliminated using this method. No coupons are printed. The deals simply go straight from the computer screen to your phone. Redemption rates have been shown to be all over the board where mobile coupons are concerned. However, the vast majority of records show between a 5-20% redemption rate. This is a big improvement over the redemption rates of traditional coupons, which is generally around 1%. This is mainly due to the user having control over which offers they receive. All of these are very good reasons to use this more and more readily available service.

So, if you’re looking for a way to save some cash – and let’s face it, in this economic climate, who isn’t? – you have some options. Sure, you could have just one double cheeseburger rather than the usual two. Or, you could pull out your cell phone that is rarely more than 18 inches from your pocket, purse, or ear and start saving on your everyday purchases. This is an easy choice for me. I love double cheeseburgers. What will you choose?