Google Launches Zavers Digital Coupon Service

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Google have launched a new digital coupon service called Zavers. The coupon enables retailers and manufacturers to reward customers with coupons relevant to their purchases. The aim is to help retailers boost loyalty and increase shopping cart size and offer redemption rates.

Zavers seems to be an interesting use case of Google applying all the data they have on retailers and manufacturers. It's a bit like a dating network for products and shelf space, in which the final goal is to meet new customers - whether online or offline.

Zero Moment of Truth

The launch of Zavers follows the tech giant's release of the Offline Conversion API, which shows that there is a widespread effort to marry this data at Google. The name Zavers also seems to draw inspiration from Google's free ebook, called the Zero Moment of Truth, which argues that there is a new type of online consumer behavior which manufacturers and retalilers need to understand.

Zavers has a real-time analytics feature which enables manufacturers to measure coupon redemptions and examine consumer preferences such that they can better manage distribution, tailor ad campaigns and optimize their media budgets. The Zavers network also offers retailers a catalog of manufacturer coupons, which may open up new retail revenue opportunities.

Shoppers can use Zavers to match manufacturer discounts with the retails sites they use so that they can save the coupons to their shopping account. No phone numbers or coupon scanning is required - the coupons are instantly redeemable, with savings automatically deducted at checkout. Manufacturers pay for the coupon ad only at the point that the product leaves the shelves.

The benefits for manufacturers are listed as:

• Gain visibility into the path to purchase
• Reduce costs and manage budget
• Prevent fraud
• Get real time UPC level data
• Manage and target distribution

The benefits for retailer are listed as:

• Reward your customers
• Increase transaction speed at the register
• Simplify coupon settlement
• Increase basket size

With this product launch, Google have announced D'Agostino as the latest partner in the Zavers network. Expect more announcements over the coming months.

In the long run, Zavers could also help Google socialize shopping further and loos to be part of a general move by Google to support retailers further. It will be interesting to see if it gets a lot of play in Google Catalogs too.

This article was originally published on Search Engine Watch.