You probably see them in your mail: blue ValPak envelopes stuffed with discounts and offers from local businesses. What you probably didn’t realize is that ValPak, owned by Cox Enterprises, is one of the largest coupon suppliers in the United States, pushing some 500 million envelopes to 45 million postal addresses a year. ValPak also and that it offers printable coupons via the Internet: just type in your city, ZIP code, or a keyword, and ValPak will be happy to show you offers from (sometimes) hundreds of offers from local and national businesses.
Now, ValPak has inked a deal with Google Maps to offer printable coupons for local merchants and services. The idea is to promote local businesses to U.S. online shoppers as they search for locations, directions, and businesses. ValPal will offer more than 20,000 coupons from current ValPak advertisers (about one quarter of its overall advertiser base) when Google Maps users search for relevant businesses. Google will also offer local businesses a Web-based template by which they can create they’re own coupons, giving businesses an opportunity to reach online shoppers with offers even if they don’t have their own online presence.
Users will be able to print coupons directly from a computer and redeem them at a physical store location. The service will be available at no charge to customers or businesses.
The move is seen as a win for ValPak, whose customers can now tie into Google with no fuss at all, and as another Google-based challenge to local and regional newspapers, whose finances often depend on advertisements and coupons from local businesses.
Google also said it plans to enable businesses to offer coupons via the company’s AdWords online advertising service.
