LiveCoupon - Create a LiveCoupon Campaign

LiveCoupon allows you to create and allocate personalized coupons to your openers in three different presentation types: text, barcode, and QR code. Unique or non-unique codes can be allocated by percentage, fixed amounts or randomly and may include a barcode or QR code alongside the coupon code.

In this topic, we will discuss the different configuration options specific for the LiveCoupon as well as the preview and embed codes. Check out the topic Create a new campaign, for more information on how to create a Liveclicker campaign.

Once your campaign has been created including a LiveCoupon element, a series of steps need to be followed:

1. 1. Configure the LiveCoupon

Configure basic settings
Further LiveCoupon configuration
- Configure a generic coupon set
- Configure a unique coupon set
Define targeting rules and AB test

2. Preview and test the LiveCoupon

3. Retrieve embed codes

1. Configure the LiveCoupon

Configure basic settings

The settings configured in the Basic Settings section apply to all the different variants of the element, if these exist.

Linking — In the basic settings you can define if a clickthrough URL is required or only the embedded image, without the possibility to click through. If you choose the option to add a clickthrough URL, you will have to define the URL further down in the configuration of the element. This works in the following way:

For a Coupon Code Appearance of type TEXT:
When using a Unique Code Set, the third column (URL) in the data set will be used. If this is empty, then the Clickthrough URL provided in this field is used.
When using a Generic Code Set, the specified Clickthrough URL will be used.

It is possible to personalize the specified Clickthrough URL by adding variable codes, e.g.: http://mywebsite.com/redeem?code=%%coupon_code%% or http://mywebsite.com/offer/%%coupon_name%%, but note this will be the same for all openers (unless a Generic Code is used)

For a Coupon Code Appearance of type QR:
When using a Unique Code Set, the third column (URL) in the data set will be used if clicked, but the second field (CODE) will be used if scanned. If a link is to be provided when scanning the QR image, the CSV file will need to be amended to provide a full URL in the CODE field.
When using a Generic Code Set, the specified Clickthrough URL will be used, but the CODE is still presented when scanned.

Coupon Code Allocation — Choose between a generic or a unique coupon code using the toggle on the right.

Generic — Up to 6 coupons as well as a fallback coupon can be created within a generic coupon set. These will be allocated following the chosen allocation settings (percentage, evenly, fixed number).
Unique — A CSV file with up to 1.500.000 coupon codes can be uploaded into Liveclicker and used to allocate to the openers. This type also requires a fallback coupon code set to allocate to your openers in case the coupon codes from the CSV file have run out. This fallback coupon code set can contain up to 6 coupon codes as well as a fallback.

Note: For more information on how to create generic and unique coupon code sets, please check out this topic.

Alt text — This is the text that will be displayed when the image cannot be rendered. It is recommended to always set an alt text in case openers have disabled image rendering in their email clients or for openers that use screen readers. The alt text is appended to the embed code of the element.

Click Save and Next to save the changes to the basic settings and move on to the next configuration section.

Further LiveCoupon configuration

When a LiveCoupon campaign is created, there is always a default LiveCoupon that will be the fallback image when the targeting rules do not apply to the opener of the email or when no targeting rules have been defined.

Start by configuring the default LiveCoupon.

Depending on the selected type of coupon set, different configuration options are available. Both are explained below:

Configure a generic coupon set
Configure a unique coupon set

Configure a generic coupon set

A generic coupon set consists of maximum 6 coupons and a fallback coupon, each with their own name and code. For each coupon in the coupon set (including the fallback), a tab is available in the configuration section. The configuration of the different coupons is similar.

(Click here to view the generic coupon set used in the above configuration).

For each one of the coupons in this generic coupon set, the following steps are required:

1. Define the dimensions, by setting the width and height of the generated LiveCoupon image.

Note: When configuring the dimensions for the fallback coupon, an additional option is available to collapse the image to 1*1pixel. This allows you to not show any image at all in case the fallback image needs to be used.

2. Upload an image, from the Media Library or from your local device.

3. Select the format in which you want to display the coupon code as an overlay over the image.

Note: This option is not available for the fallback coupon.

Depending on the selected format of the overlay text, different configuration options are available to change the appearance:

Text — The coupon is displayed in text format. You can configure font settings, letter spacing, character limit as well as text position, orientation, alignment and curving.
The text can be personalized with the following variables: %%coupon_code%% and %%coupon_name%%
Barcode code 128 — The coupon code is displayed as a barcode 128, a high-density barcode, which can be expressed in ASCII0 to ASCII 127 and holds a total of 128 characters (numbers and letters). Because of this it can store highly diversified information. They are mostly used in the logistics and transportation industries.
You can configure the position of the barcode, the width, alignment and color.
Barcode - UPC - A — The coupon code is displayed as a barcode-UPC-A, an omnidirectional, numeric barcode with 12 digits. UPC-A barcodes are used to label and scan consumer goods at points of sale around the world, mainly in the United States but also in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.
Note: This barcode only accepts numeric values so when the coupon code contains non-numeric characters a warning sign appears, and only the background image will be rendered, without a barcode.
You can configure the position of the barcode, the width, alignment and color (Currently, you can only configure a black barcode). For best results, make sure that your code is large enough to scan and has a solid color background .
QR - code — QR codes are public domain and free to use. The rendering of a QR code can be adjusted by the position over image, width, alignment, and code color. For best results, make sure that your code is large enough to scan and has a solid color background.

Note: Use the option Copy settings to all codes, to apply the same configuration to all the other coupons in the coupon code set.

4. If you want to add additional personalization, click Add Personalization text to further personalize the image with more text or additional barcodes or QR codes.

5. Set the clickthrough URL. This works in the following way:

For a Coupon Code Appearance of type TEXT:
When using a Generic Code Set, the specified Clickthrough URL will be used.

For a Coupon Code Appearance of type QR:
When using a Generic Code Set, the specified Clickthrough URL will be used, but the CODE is still presented when scanned.

Configure a unique coupon set

A unique coupon set consists of an imported CSV list of coupon codes and a fallback coupon code set with a maximum of 6 coupons and another fallback.

The configuration section displays one tab for the imported list of coupon codes as well as one tab for each coupon in the fallback coupon set, including the fallback.

(Click here to view the unique coupon set used in the above configuration. Click here to view the fallback coupon set used in the above example.)

1. In the dimensions, set the width and height of the generated image.

2. Upload an image, from the Media Library or from your local device.

3. Select the format in which you want to display the coupon code as an overlay over the image.

Text — The coupon code is displayed in text format. You can configure font settings, letter spacing, character limit as well as text position, orientation, alignment and curving.
The text can be personalized with the following variables: %%coupon_code%% and %%coupon_name%%
Barcode code 128 — The coupon code is displayed as a barcode 128, a high-density barcode, which can be expressed in ASCII0 to ASCII 127 and holds a total of 128 characters (numbers and letters). Because of this they can store highly diversified information. They are mostly used in the logistics and transportation industries.
You can configure the position of the barcode, the width, alignment and color.
Barcode - UPC - A — The coupon code is displayed as a barcode UPC A, an omnidirectional, numeric barcode with 12 digits. UPC-A barcodes are used to label and scan consumer goods at points of sale around the world, mainly in the United States but also in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.
You can configure the position of the barcode, the width and alignment. The color can only be black(A color picker is displayed but when selecting a different color from black, the actual code will be shown, and not the barcode). For best results, make sure that your code is large enough to scan and has a solid color background .
QR - code — QR codes are public domain and free to use. The rendering of a QR code can be adjusted by the position over image, width, alignment, and code color. For best results, make sure that your code is large enough to scan and has a solid color background.

4. If you want to add additional personalization, click Add Personalization text to further personalize the image with more text or additional barcodes or QR codes.

5. Set the clickthrough URL. This works in the following way:

Now you have finished the configuration of your first LiveCoupon.
At this point you can either add an alternative version of the LiveCoupon or move on to the targeting and testing section.
An alternative version can be used when targeting rules are implemented, presenting some of the viewers with one version, and others with another version.

6. If you want to do this, click the button Add Alternate LiveCoupon and repeat the above steps.

Define targeting rules and AB test

1. In this last step, you can decide which subscriber should get a specific version of the image through the use of targeting rules. A targeting rule will split up the audience and only target a segment of the audience. There are 2 options:

Define targeting rules from scratch.
When you have already defined targeting rules for a different element in this campaign, you can re-use these targeting rules for the current element.

For more details on targeting rules, please check out the dedicated topic.

2. In addition, you can also set up AB testing for this element. With A/B testing the final version of the image shown to the remainder of the audience, is determined by the A/B test.

3. When done, click Continue. You are taken to the next element to configure, if any. Otherwise, you are taken to the Preview.

2. Preview

The Preview tab for your campaign becomes available when all elements in your campaign have been configured. It provides you with the ability to test the look and rendering of the elements in your campaign, either as a static preview or as a dynamic preview, simulating an opener. You can also send yourself or others an email preview.

For more details on how to test your elements using preview, please read the corresponding topic.

3. Retrieve embed codes

In this last step, you need to provide some estimated campaign details, such as expected opens, launch date and Expiration date, as well as the Subscriber ID field.

All this information will be used by Liveclicker to optimize resources but also to create the embed code.

For more details on the Embed codes, check out this topic.