According to a International Herald Tribune report, 74 percent of Americans still use paper coupons and around 99 percent of the 200 billion coupons distributed annually in the United States end up in the trash.

“As a company we considered that number to be environmentally irresponsible, so we developed Coupon Envy,” said Dean Tally CEO of PlasMedia Productions, parent company of PlasMedia Mobile, Kansas City, MI.

CouponEnvy lets businesses send messages out to their whole customer base in one shot, alerting interested patrons of upcoming discounts.

Since the message is received on a personal mobile phone, businesses can offer immediacy and relevancy to their customers.

“The strategy is to enable small- to mid-sized businesses to effectively use mobile marketing without large-scale spending,” Mr. Tally said. “They can use our Web-based interface to create a channel to talk to their customers.

“Mobile isn’t just for the big boys anymore,” he said.

Mobile couponing is a way for small- and mid-size business owners to reward their best customers.

They can provide special offers, discounts, event invites and news right to consumers’ mobile phones.

Coupon Envy provides business owners with reporting, response rates and return on investment.

For customers it provides discounts, additional product information and special invites to events that they may not have heard of any other way.

Rates start at $17 per week for 2500 messages per month.

PlasMedia Mobile is a division of PlasMedia Productions. PlasMedia Mobile specializes in interactive mobile technology.

The company’s mobile marketing and m-commerce tool was built on a Web-based software platform.

“The primary problem with marketing programs today is lack of direct customer interaction,” Mr. Tally said. “Also there is the environmental issue at hand as well.

“Our service elevates the degree of customer interaction and the personal connection that marketers can have with their target audience,” he said.

“We are helping businesses reach out to their customers and affect their buying habits.”