Mah-Ann's Pro Fitness Val-Pak

Valpak coupons: they arrive in a blue envelope. It is less expensive than a post card. Generally the Valpak artists do a good job if you have a pretty good idea of what you want. I think this is the case with Mah-ann’s fitness. Using this Valpak you can reach a few thousand people and be pretty targeted.

In the past, I have used Valpak effectively. It is not a homerun every time, but more often than not you can generate a few calls. Plus because it is a coupon, you always know exactly how effective it is. In general, for the Valpak to work you have to address the coupon clipper. Valpaks make no bones about what they are…discounts to bring you into a business. Two-for-one deals; percentage-off offers; free-with-purchase overtures; and delayed payment plans are all part of the Valpack arsenal. So, that is who your target market is, discount couponeers in a specific area code.

One of the nice things about Valpak is that usually they don’t have competing businesses from the same market segment in the same envelope. So Mah-ann is the only gym/fitness coupon in the mailing.

The ad is attractive. Mah-ann is making a status argument but doesn’t necessarily back it up, but the bullet points on side two give good weight to her claims. In general the ad is good. It is attractive and has good photos and hopefully should generate some interest.

There is only one area that there may be some problems: I call it Marc’s rule number one of copywriting…Make sure your offer is clear. When you are done reading this special offer, there should be no question in your mind what you will get if you use this coupon.

Side one has a strong statement, “half off 3 training sessions for $99 (regularly $220)” I am a fitness tyro; have no idea what to expect after reading this offer I have 2 questions. First, $110 is half of $220. So is this really more than half off, or is the price half off of something else? Second, is the $99 price for each session or is it for all 3? I assume it is for all 3. As an advertiser you do not want to have your target market assume anything.

On side 2 I love the line “Change your life!” that is awesome copy and perfect for your target market. “Only $600” might be a little high for Valpack. It is easily the highest dollar amount in the envelope…it is not however the most expensive item people are selling. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Sears vinyl siding and air conditioning are more expensive, but they made sure to let you know who much you were going to save, but left the final price off the coupon. That is probably a good idea for this type of advertising. $240 is a substantial savings, but a $600 price tag may be a bit high for Valpack recipients.