The research is from a Coupons.com study that focused on the differences between the coupons selected by iPhone and Android users. The data was pulled by analyzing coupon usage via the Coupon.com’s Grocery iQ shopping list application Jan. 1-July 31.

“The data demonstrates that different platforms have different users and different usage characteristics, and those differences aren’t as cut and dry as early adopter versus mainstream–as evident by Android shipments surpassing iPhone recently,” said Steve Horowitz, chief technology officer of Coupons.com, Mountain View, CA. “It’s not as black and white as a gender bias, male versus female.”

Grocery iQ is available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android. The free application also integrates coupons from Coupons.com. Users can browse available offers and then either print out the coupons for in-store redemption or load them directly onto their store loyalty cards for automatic at-the-register savings.

Digital couponing behavior
The top coupon in the body wash category among iPhone users was for women’s body wash, which was eight times more popular than the same coupon among Android users. Men’s body wash topped the list among Android users.

Chicken was the most popular item in the dinner meats category among iPhone users, while pork ribs were most popular among Android users.

IPhone users printed or saved the top chicken coupon six times more than Android users.

The top household cleaner/supplies coupon among iPhone users was for multisurface cleaner, while Android users gravitated to continuous toilet bowl cleaner.

In the pet food category, fish food was the most popular item with iPhone users, who snagged the top coupon 26.2 times more than Android users. Bird food topped the list among Android users.

For the personal care category, coupons for baby products were overwhelmingly more popular with iPhone users. These offers were printed or loaded to loyalty cards from iPhones a whopping 41.7 times more than from Androids.

Conversely, Android users take care of themselves before tending to baby. This group selected pain relief coupons 2.1 times more than iPhone users.

Common ground
An area of common ground among both iPhone and Android users is they are increasingly using their smartphones for savings. The number of coupons accessed from Coupons.com mobile applications increased 232 percent from January to June.

“The implication is that one size does not fit all,” Mr. Horowitz said. “Like they have done with more traditional media and platforms, marketers should know their audience.”

“Developers should develop and advertisers should advertise with as much precision as possible to attract their primary target markets,” he said. “The strategy has not changed. The platforms have.”