Do You Know Who Invented The Coupon?

Coupons. They are literally everywhere.

You find them stuck to the boxes, bags, and cans you buy in stores. They are in magazines, newspapers, and direct mail pieces. And increasingly coupons are online.

But did you ever wonder who invented the concept of the coupon? The credit goes to a guy named Asa Candler. Candler is the business man who bought the formula for Coca-Cola from its inventor John Pemberton for the grand total of $2,300. Talk about a great investment.

In the early years of Coke, the company had a fairly disorganized structure and was being manufactured and distributed by three or more different entities. Sales were mediocre during these early years.

Asa Candler decided to launch a national campaign of distributing 'tickets' for a free glass of Coca Cola. He got the idea from an ex employee of John Pemberton, who was reprimanded for giving away tickets for free samples of Coke. These 'tickets, or coupons as we know them, were mailed out and included in magazines. They were good at 'any dispenser of genuine Coca-Cola'.

Asa's tickets changed everything. By the end of the campaign, 1 in 9 Americans had tried a Coca-Cola, and the company was on it way to becoming an icon. You can see a picture of one of the original coupons at my link here. With additional credit to Wikipedia for information on Asa Candler. (via Wired.com)