ACCURMENT RESEARCH
Pop-up Effectiveness
This independent research was conducted by a group of marketing scholars from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Queensland.
The research examines how different mobile coupon formats influence customer behaviour in mobile commerce, with a particular focus on whether pop-up coupons are more effective than static or animated coupons. A large scale field experiment as well as a follow-up experiment were conducted to establish the effect in real-life and understand the underlying mechanisms.
Study 1: Large-Scale Field Experiment
The first study was a large-scale randomised field experiment conducted in collaboration with JD.com, one of the world’s largest mobile commerce platforms in China. A total of 108,265 existing customers were exposed to mobile coupons while browsing the platform’s app. Coupons promoted either a hedonic product (wine) or a utilitarian product (shirts), with all discount information held constant across conditions.
Participants encountered one of three coupon formats:
Results revealed that pop-up coupons significantly increased coupon attainment compared to static coupons, whereas GIF coupons did not produce a meaningful improvement over static formats. These effects were statistically robust and replicated across multiple model specifications.
Moreover, the effectiveness of pop-up coupons was substantially stronger for hedonic products than for utilitarian products. In practical terms, pop-up coupons increased coupon attainment by 44.9% for wine and 13.7% for T-shirts, relative to static coupons.
Study 2: Follow-up Experiment in the US
To understand why pop-up coupons are more effective, a follow-up experiment was conducted with 404 participants in the United States (50% female, average age 39 years) recruited through an online research panel.
Participants randomly evaluated either a pop-up or static coupon promoting a hedonic or utilitarian product and reported:
The findings showed that pop-up coupons were 37.9% more likely to be clicked than static coupons, but only when promoting hedonic products. Pop-up coupons also consistently increased perceptions of gift framing by 28.8%, meaning consumers were more likely to perceive the offer as a “gift” rather than a standard discount.
For hedonic products, pop-up coupons further reduced feelings of guilt by 21.3%, which directly increased engagement. In contrast, guilt reduction did not occur for utilitarian products, explaining the weaker effect in those contexts.
Key Insight
Across multiple experimental settings, the research provides strong empirical evidence that pop-up coupons outperform static and GIF formats. Importantly, this advantage does not arise merely from increased attention, but from a shift in how consumers psychologically interpret the offer. When promoting hedonic products in particular, pop-up coupons function as a psychological “permission slip” that reduces guilt and legitimises indulgent consumption.
The research examines how different mobile coupon formats influence customer behaviour in mobile commerce, with a particular focus on whether pop-up coupons are more effective than static or animated coupons. A large scale field experiment as well as a follow-up experiment were conducted to establish the effect in real-life and understand the underlying mechanisms.
Study 1: Large-Scale Field Experiment
The first study was a large-scale randomised field experiment conducted in collaboration with JD.com, one of the world’s largest mobile commerce platforms in China. A total of 108,265 existing customers were exposed to mobile coupons while browsing the platform’s app. Coupons promoted either a hedonic product (wine) or a utilitarian product (shirts), with all discount information held constant across conditions.
Participants encountered one of three coupon formats:
- Static coupons
- Animated GIF coupons
- Pop-up coupons
Results revealed that pop-up coupons significantly increased coupon attainment compared to static coupons, whereas GIF coupons did not produce a meaningful improvement over static formats. These effects were statistically robust and replicated across multiple model specifications.
Moreover, the effectiveness of pop-up coupons was substantially stronger for hedonic products than for utilitarian products. In practical terms, pop-up coupons increased coupon attainment by 44.9% for wine and 13.7% for T-shirts, relative to static coupons.
Study 2: Follow-up Experiment in the US
To understand why pop-up coupons are more effective, a follow-up experiment was conducted with 404 participants in the United States (50% female, average age 39 years) recruited through an online research panel.
Participants randomly evaluated either a pop-up or static coupon promoting a hedonic or utilitarian product and reported:
- Likelihood of clicking the coupon
- Perceptions of the coupon as a “gift”
- Feelings of guilt associated with the purchase
The findings showed that pop-up coupons were 37.9% more likely to be clicked than static coupons, but only when promoting hedonic products. Pop-up coupons also consistently increased perceptions of gift framing by 28.8%, meaning consumers were more likely to perceive the offer as a “gift” rather than a standard discount.
For hedonic products, pop-up coupons further reduced feelings of guilt by 21.3%, which directly increased engagement. In contrast, guilt reduction did not occur for utilitarian products, explaining the weaker effect in those contexts.
Key Insight
Across multiple experimental settings, the research provides strong empirical evidence that pop-up coupons outperform static and GIF formats. Importantly, this advantage does not arise merely from increased attention, but from a shift in how consumers psychologically interpret the offer. When promoting hedonic products in particular, pop-up coupons function as a psychological “permission slip” that reduces guilt and legitimises indulgent consumption.