How Axel Springer Made Mobile Coupons Work

Print circulars have fallen out of favor, just like the newspapers that carry them. But European media giant Axel Springer is trying to resurrect the format by tailoring them to mobile users.

Axel Springer launched a mobile app for circulars in 2013. Today, the app, Retale, features more than 180 retailers, has logged 1.3 billion engagements and surpassed 5 million downloads. For Retale, an engagement means that a mobile user opened and read a circular, which might include a deal on a cell phone contract, promotions for box springs, and the latest price cuts on electronics from retailers like Verizon, Sleepy’s and Best Buy.