Printed matter – Tally – Coupon
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-04-03
Wellington, A. L. (Department: 3722)
Printed matter
Tally
Coupon
C283S052000, C283S056000, C283S061000, C040S591000, C040S593000, C040S643000, C040S644000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209918
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a print presentation and coupon article that is provided to a customer for assembly by the customer in a loop around his or her motor vehicle sun visor for ready access when the customer is deciding to make a purchase. Within the advertising industry, it is believed that most of the households in America include adults who are employed outside of the home, and if there is a married couple, frequently both spouses are so employed. The time demands of outside employment combined with ordinary demands of family and social life frequently creates pressures on the working family members. People who work all day outside of the home may leave their place of employment at 5:00 PM, for instance, and then rush to get errands done, shopping, picking up children from schools or daycare facilities. These parents may not have thought about what to prepare for dinner, and have very little or no time to prepare a meal. Research has shown that many of these parents have not given a thought about planning a family meal until late in the afternoon, perhaps 4:00 PM. At that time, or during the time between when they leave their employment and when they arrive at home, they are in the advertising industry refers to as “a decision mode” or “purchase mode”. Obviously, TV advertising and most print advertising does not reach these people when they are in this “decision mode”. If they are traveling in their vehicles, radio is an option which has worked fairly well, but even this form of advertising doesn't generate a significant response either since the listener frequently changes channels when a commercial starts, or people may be listening to talk shows, or a musical cassette or compact disc.
A form of advertising or product promotion has long been needed which is designed to address the issue advertisers face because of the lack of a method by which to reach consumers when they are in the “decision mode” described above. It is known that consumers respond to print pieces and coupons, but frequently coupons are not at hand in an vehicle, perhaps being stored at home on a cupboard or stuck to a refrigerator or bulletin board, or in a drawer. To be effective, the coupons must be in the hands of a consumer when they are in their car and possibly in the purchase mode or when they are planning a meal, entertainment or other items that are needed by the consumer or his or her family.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The coupon holder and presentation article of the present invention provides an easy and readily available source of business product and service promotion, advertising, coupons and discount offers which is displayed in an automotive vehicle. The information provided on the article can stimulate awareness to various types of advertisers and products or services that are available to the consumer in his or her immediate area at the time the consumer is in a purchase mode.
The presentation article of the present invention comprises a band of flexible material. The article encircles the sun visor of a motor vehicle, for instance, and thereby provides consumers with readily visible and available product information, coupons, promotions, discounts, and the like, at a time when a consumer is in his or her vehicle and would be considering or reaching a purchase decision that can be prompted, influenced or enhanced by the availability of such information. The article is designed so that the customer could instead place it around the arm rest of a passenger seat, a vehicle storage compartment lid, or secure it to other surfaces within the vehicle where the band can encircle the surface.
One embodiment of the present invention provides an article that is separated into two or more zones on a first side. One zone might include, for instance, removable coupon offers, printed discounts, special offers, or similar advertising or promotional information. A second or other zones might include maps to business, business service information, photographs, illustrations, telephone numbers for call-ahead orders, drawings, graphics, and the like which might relate to those items displayed in the first zone.
Further, on a second side of the article there can be a second surface which has multiple zones. A first zone can include an adhesive material, for the purpose of affixing the band to itself encircling the sun visor, or adhering it directly to the sun visor, and other zones which can include instructions for positioning the band on the sun visor, emergency safety instructions, or other information.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a zone can be used to affix an address label or postage information to allow postal distribution of the article to consumers.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a zone can be used to configure accommodations for door hanging of the article as a door knobe hang tab to allow easy distribution of the article to consumers.
One embodiment of the article of this invention is adjustable in size and can be attached onto a sun visor without requiring other devices or aids to hold it in place. Furthermore, the article provides a convenient location for printed materials within the motorized vehicle which are commonly needed to induce or encourage a consumer purchase decision. Thus, the article of the present invention is easily visible and accessible to the consumer and places product or service information, special discounted offers, coupons, and the like, in a convenient location, readily available and accessible, for consumers who are likely to make decisions regarding purchases while in their vehicle and further to generate awareness in the consumer's mind that he or she has immediate access to desired information in the vehicle of discounted offers, coupons, and the like.
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Neary J. Michael
Thurston Alisa L
Wellington A. L.
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