Deals, Discounts, and Coupons--The Thrill is Gone

From Marketing Pilgrim.

"It’s President’s Day and you know what that means! Low low prices on mattresses, bedding, jewelry and cars, cars, cars. If George Washington were alive today, he’d be lining up to get a great price on a new Toyota! Honest, says Abe!

Do you remember the days when Washington and Lincoln were respected men of history and not hyperactive, humorous pitch men? Me neither.

But there was a time when people planned for holiday sales because it was the only time of the year you’d get such a great deal. Magazines would publish articles about the best time to buy new sheets or barbeque grills because most of the deep discounts were calendar-based. How does that work now that we get bombarded with great deals every day? From Amazon’s Daily Deals to Groupon’s half price offers, to downloadable and printable coupons for hundreds of products and restaurants, the average person could go broke saving money.

On a daily basis, I get a dozen discount offers in my email box and a few more via Twitter. Even Best Buy now reminds me that I can save if I buy completely unrelated products through the Best Buy rewards program. I love a good deal and I’m known for never paying full price but even I’ve grown weary of the constant stream of deals, discounts and coupons.

The very word “deal,” used to imply that you were getting something special. A reward for shopping at a certain time or for being a loyal customer. Now, when ten mommy bloggers note it on their blog and three people send it to me via Facebook, I don’t feel so special anymore. And can it really be called a discount when the item never actually sells for the full price as is the case with Amazon?

Studies have shown us that people follow brands on Facebook and Twitter in hopes of getting a coupon. Studies also show a huge rise in the number of people using deal sites like Groupon on a regular basis. But at what point will we all begin turning a blind eye on the great deal? How soon before 50% is looked at as hardly worth the effort? It’s 90% off or nothing!

If being different is how a company stands out in a crowd, maybe it’s time someone tried reverse psychology. To honor those men who helped shape our country, we give you the President’s Day Full Price Sale. Nothing discounted, because when it comes to quality and standards, you always get what you pay for.

I’ll bet there are a couple of marketing geniuses out there who could totally make that idea work."

What about when the food the coupon is hawking is expired--where's the deal then?

My dad used to get upset at all these made-up sales events. He'd say things like, "I fought in WWII for your right to buy discounted bedsheets, by golly!" around Veteran's Day every year, and "George Washington's men nearly starved to death in the Revolutionary War just so you could get a deal on a new car!" every President's Day (back then, the Presidents days were still separated--Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson each had their own birthday on the calendar, and all were within days or weeks of each other. Some political maneuver rounded them all up, and we wound up with Presidents' Day).

Taken to today's extremes, you could say (in my dad's voice) that "Jesus" died so we could bust the doors down at a local Walmart at 4 in the morning, or fall off the roof trying to hang Las Vegas lights around the house and yard.

Or the St. Valentine's Day Massacre victims died so we could give women over-priced chocolates, over-priced roses that will die anyway, and go to an expensive meal, all in hopes of getting sex that night.

Or Jesus was supposedly resurrected so that makes it okay to buy a new dress and hat, hollow chocolate bunnies, a basket full of crap candy nobody else wants (jelly beans--the fruitcake of Easter), the egg dye (and accompanying mess), the fake grass, and even name a lilly after the "holiday."

You get the point. Dad certainly drilled it into me.