Ping Mobile gathered responses from women across the nation about their current coupon usage and their overall feelings towards mobile coupons. Consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile device for everyday tasks and mobile coupon usage will definitely grow in 2012.

“With a click of a button, mobile coupons can be easily forwarded to an entire address book, adding a valuable dimension to this medium of communication,” said Shira Simmonds, CEO of Ping Mobile, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

“We’ve run mobile coupon campaigns which have achieved over a 100 percent redemption rate – illustrating the vast number of consumers who forwarded the message along,” she said.

“If consumers truly deem a mobile coupon as valuable, it can go viral very quickly.”

Key finding
According to Ping Mobile, the most interesting finding was that while online and print coupons are each used by more than 75 percent of women, mobile coupons are used by more than 20 percent.

In addition to 55 percent of women saying they would be willing to opt-in to receive mobile coupons, almost 90 percent said they would either be very likely or somewhat likely to redeem a mobile coupon which they considered valuable.

According to Ping Mobile, the huge gap between actual mobile coupon use and willingness to use them can most likely be attributed to a lack of availability of mobile coupons.

The study also found that more than 72 percent of women said they would share a mobile coupon they deemed valuable, either by forwarding it or by posting it to a social network via their mobile device.

The Ping Mobile study shows that consumers are increasingly willing and excited about mobile coupons and brands and marketers should take note.

“The viral component is beneficial not only because it enables companies to reach new consumers,” said Shuli Lowy, marketing manager at Ping Mobile, Englewood Cliffs, NJ,

“But also because it creates a longer consumer interaction with the brand,” she said. “The consumers not only view the coupon, but they take the time to pass it on and to show their friends that they believe in the brand, which is invaluable in today’s socially connected world.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York