But the rapid growth of sales promotion created clutter. Consumers began to tune out promotions:
Coupon redemption peaked in 1992 at 7.9 billion coupons redeemed but dropped to 2.6 billion
by 2008. Incessant price reductions, coupons, deals, and premiums can also devalue the product in
buyers’ minds. There is a risk in putting a well-known brand on promotion over 30 percent of the
time. Having turned to 0 percent financing, hefty cash rebates, and special lease programs to ignite
sales in the soft post-9/11 economy, auto manufacturers have found it difficult to wean consumers
from discounts ever since.