Which drives better consumer engagement and behavioral responses?

Marketers today increasingly rely on online platforms like mobile apps, social media, and direct email to deliver promotional content, drawn by their cost-effectiveness and extensive reach. However, despite these advantages, traditional offline promotions, such as printed coupons, might still outperform their digital counterparts in driving consumer behavior.

Offline media are reported to enhance consumers’ ability to recall promotional content and improve their perception of the advertised products. Yet, a direct comparison of how offline and online promotional media affect consumer behavior has remained largely unexplored.

To address this, a team of researchers from Japan, comprising Associate Professor Taku Togawa from Sophia University, and others, compared the effects of online and offline sales promotional media on consumer behavioral responses. Their findings were published online in the Journal of Advertising Research on 1 December 2024.

The team conducted a field experiment in which online and offline promotional coupons of the company Fujifilm were sent to 7,500 customers.

Participants were divided into three groups: one group received promotional coupons offline first (via direct mail, followed by email), another received them online first (via email, followed by direct mail), and a third group received only online coupons (via email twice).

The researchers measured coupon redemption rates and conducted a follow-up survey to assess how participants interacted with the media, their cognitive engagement, and their level of attachment to the Fujifilm brand.

The results revealed that coupon redemption rates were highest in the offline-first group and lowest in the online-only group. Cognitive engagement directly affected the coupon redemption behavior of the consumers.

According to the lead author, Prof. Togawa, “Printed coupons increase cognitive engagement, which in turn promotes redemption behavior.” Additionally, consumers with low brand attachment were more likely to cognitively engage with the contents of the coupons and subsequently redeem the coupons.

Although offline promotional couponing incurred higher marketing costs—$4,500 for both offline-first and online-first groups compared to $0 for the online-only group—they generated significantly greater sales. Estimated sales were $13,000 for the offline-first group, $11,100 for the online-first group, and just $2,200 for the online-only group.

As Prof. Togawa explains, “The higher costs of offline marketing are justified by the substantial increase in sales they drive.”

The authors also performed a laboratory study with 127 undergraduate students. In the experiment, the authors distributed fictitious coupons for a discount on beverages (Starbucks) and furniture (IKEA) on either online or print media.

An online survey was conducted to evaluate the intention to redeem the coupon and cognitive engagement. The intention to redeem the offline coupon was high for both products. Consistent with the field study findings, the effects of print (vs. online) media on redemption intention were pronounced among participants with low attachment to the brands, whereas the effect was attenuated among those with high brand attachment.

“Our findings indicate that offline promotional media have an important role in triggering consumer behavior even in this digital age,” notes Prof. Togawa. However, the researchers suggest that further studies are needed to determine the effects of offline marketing on the behavior of consumers in various contexts (e.g., cross-national studies).

This study highlights the advantages of offline media in driving consumer behavior, offering key insights for marketers. It emphasizes the roles of cognitive engagement and brand attachment, helping marketers design more effective and targeted promotional strategies.