InsideGoogle

Google Maps: Now With Coupons

If you though Google couldn’t get any less predictable, they are now offering coupons on Google Maps from Valpak, the company that drops those giant coupon envelopes in front of your home. If you search in Google Maps for a relevant advertiser, you’ll get offered a coupon from Valpak, which you can print out from your computer and redeem at a store location. This is a promotion for later this year, when Google AdWords advertisers will be able to add coupons to their ads.

Later this year, advertisers using Google AdWords — the company’s advertising network that operates across affiliated Web sites — will be able to add coupons directly to their advertisements as a new tool to woo buyers, Google said.

Google discount coupons must be printed out and presented to retailers. There are no current plans to offer the discount program to mobile phone users, who, in theory, can simply download the coupons on Web-equipped mobile phones and present the electronic screen to a store clerk. Valpak said few retailers have a secure way to manage electronic coupons.

Businesses can upload a small image to appear on the face of the coupon and create a unique identifying number in order to track coupon offers and defend against potential fraud.

August 16th, 2006 Posted by Nathan Weinberg | Google Maps, Services, AdWords, Advertising, General | 4 comments