Now that the July 4th holiday has passed, brands are ramping up their back-to-school programs to reach shoppers preparing for the first day of school. Many digital marketers offer student discounts, but if you’re not also offering discounts for teachers, you’re missing out.
The US has 6 million educators who spend $1.5 billion annually on their classrooms, and they love a good deal. Eighty-one percent of teachers seek out brands that offer teacher discounts, and 94% will go out of their way to shop at companies that do. Smart companies like Target are seizing this opportunity by launching an exclusive offer for teachers. Between July 15 – 21, the leading retailer is offering teachers a special 15% discount on select classroom supplies – everything from pens and pencils to classroom storage, hand sanitizer, and more.
And the company is casting a wide net. Every kind of teacher is eligible, from preschool teachers to college professors. Even homeschool teachers can take advantage of the offer.
Exclusive Offers are Good for Business
The program will help Target increase revenue and acquire new customers, but that’s just part of the company’s rationale. Mark Tritton, Target’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, told the USA today it’s also a way for the company to honor the service teachers provide.
“As many teachers begin to think about the upcoming school year, the Teacher Prep Event helps them get the classroom supplies they need at a greater value,” Tritton said. “It’s a way for Target to acknowledge the role they play in going the extra mile for their students.” Target also knows that an exclusive offer for teachers not only raises brand awareness, it increases loyalty among teachers who feel rewarded for their work and generates an affinity for the brand in the minds of everyone who is also grateful for value teachers provide.
Target’s Program Exemplifies Industry Leading Best Practices
In addition to offering a smart and desirable discount, Target is amplifying it by every means possible. News of the offer appeared in a wide range of channels, including:
- USA Today
- NRF SmartBrief, the National Retail Federation Newsletter.
- News segments on local TV stations in cities around the country, such as Los Angeles and Fresno.
- Teacher advocacy sites such as We Are Teachers, who took the added step of pointing their readers to more ways to shop and save at Target.
Target also increased the value of the offer by making it stackable. While shoppers can’t use it in conjunction with other category coupons, they can receive an additional 5% discount if they make they purchase with their Target REDcard.
Digital Verification Benefits Brands and Consumers
Target is both protecting the offer and making it user-friendly by confirming buyer eligibility with SheerID’s Digital Verification Platform. With SheerID, Target is:
- Preventing fraudulent redemptions, which can be as high as 35%.
- Creating a frictionless, in-brand experience that instantly gives customers a discount code in exchange for a small amount of information.
- Meeting 57% of Americans’ preference to have a third-party verify eligibility (see our consumer survey).
- Including a backup document review to ensure 100% coverage.
Leveraging the Power of Exclusive Offers
Target knows that exclusive offers are a great way to acquire and retain high value customers for low costs. SheerID asked more than 1,000 shoppers how they felt about exclusive offers, and:
- 94% said they would take advantage of one.
- 91% said they’d share one with their friends or family.
- 68% said they carry more weight than traditional coupons.
And exclusive offers don’t just encourage a buyer to engage with a brand once, they facilitate repeat purchases. More than four in five Americans say being provided an exclusive offer would increase how often they shopped with the brand, and other big box retailers have seen exclusive offers double the number of in-store trips shoppers make.
Ready to Use Exclusive Offers to Grow Your Business?
SheerID’s Digital Verification Platform powers exclusive offers for a wide range of segments, including teachers, students, military personnel and more. Let us help you create an exclusive offer program that will drive your company’s success.
