Living in an HDB, I can safely say that one of the most annoying things I’ve to do is picking up flyers from the floor the moment I open my gate.
I can’t fault the delivery guy, after all, they’re just doing their jobs.
Most of the time however, these flyers end up in the bin, making for a huge waste of paper when you consider how many have been printed.
So these 2 guys came up with a way to disrupt the system, and they are giving you discounts why they’re at it.
Hangover Coupons
Founded and designed by friends Ridzwan Zin and Zainul Arifin, Hangover Coupons are door hangers featuring a curated list of discounts.
The brands on each hanger lists merchants within 1km, i.e. the promotions you find on your door are all within walking distance. If you’d like more coupons, you can also get them from influencers partnering with the startup, or by joining #HOCMembersClub.
@hangovercoupons Darksta
As the founders share, Singapore’s coupon culture is weak, and that was an epiphany Ridzwan had during a trip to Las Vegas.
With Hangover Coupons, he wants to “provide attractive savings that won’t end up in the trash or junk mail.”
“We produce our Hangover Coupons on high quality, bright-coloured, premium art cards with perforated lines so customers can easily tear off the coupons.”
Simultaneously, they want to “help businesses attract, grow their customers and get better results with advertising”, and the results are already showing.
“One client in particular shared that thanks to Hangover Coupons, they had received more than 20 new customers within 2 days.”
The customers had no idea the business existed, and that is a persisting problem despite social media and the Internet, he shared.
Raising Awareness In The Public Eye
As a startup barely 8 months old, the key was not just in raising their client profile, but also their own.
With limited resources, the team bootstrapped everything.
“Initially, we depended on cold-calling, cold prospecting and sharing of our ideas and initiative to business owners,” shares Ridzwan.
“We went around hanging the coupons while seizing the opportunity to do surveys and door-to-door interviews.”
“The Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce & Industry and SME Centre @ SMCCI Business Advisory were great on providing advice and resources.”
You don’t realise how easy it is to request for help or advice when you’re starting up.
The team also carried out street surveys (video here), and the reactions they received were a definite confidence booster.
“It affirmed our beliefs that people still love physical free valuable coupons,” Ridzwan says.
“Compared to the excessive ‘content trap’ of online ads, Hangover Coupons let people see and physically touch the offers and promotions.”
“We strongly believe people will continue to appreciate that. In addition, they get a variety of offers with real value rather than low-quality flyers that lead to a cluttered doorstep.”
“The influx of advertisers is like a gold rush, especially on Facebook. In fact, there was a 50% increase in advertisers in just 2017. There is a finite space. With thousands promoting to the same audiences, the competition is fierce.”
You must be where your customers are.
“Meanwhile, the average ad cost will continue rising. It’s already at the point where just setting up profitable campaigns can be challenging.”
“With Hangover Coupons, there is no better way for local business owners to create the first impression amongst potential customers in their own community.”
Needless to say, not every business owner is onboard with the idea.
“They rely more on digital advertising and we don’t blame them,” Ridzwan muses.
“We advise them to have more than one advertising and marketing channel as not everyone wants to be marketed to on social media.”
Grooming A Budding Startup
“One of the early challenges was in having the right partner with the correct mindset. Having had a former founding partner who dwelled too much on past experiences and failures, I’ve learnt that it causes unnecessary conflict and wasted time,” he continues.
Adversity is the greatest teacher we have in life.
“Zainul and I learnt that sometimes the best course of action is just to move forward. Nothing is perfect, but if you believe in an idea or strategy, just learn from the mistakes, move forward and manage the risks as you go forward.”
“A smooth sea never makes good sailors.”
Featured Image Credit: Ridzwan Zin
