In its latest outreach effort to demonstrate to direct market retailers that digital comics represent more of an opportunity than a threat, Marvel announced an initiative that gave customers who purchased a digital comic through the Marvel Comics app on Saturday, January 7th, 2012 a $5 coupon (sent via email) that can only be redeemed at select comic shops.  The offer, which was limited to one per customer, was valid only on Saturday.

 

Marvel’s Senior VP of Sales David Gabriel explained, “We are big believers that everything we do with the Marvel Comics app brings new fans to our medium and we want to make sure that those fans experience the great comic book stores out there.”  The coupon will come to customers with a link to a “locater” for the closest participating comic shop.  Marvel is also hoping that direct market Marvel fans will check out a new series in the digital format, since they can more than recoup the cost by using the coupon at their local comic shop.

 

Marvel has engaged in other marketing efforts to push sales of digital comics, most recently including codes that can be redeemed for digital comics polybagged with periodical comics (see “Ultimate Line Adds Digital Bundles”) and graphic novels (see “Digital Codes With Season One GNs”).