Okay, so we know a few of the common reasons why companies discount their products and services. But keep in mind that all consumers see a correlation between products and services and their prices. Perceived value is an important issue that all companies need to understand. In these challenging economic times, more companies are discounting than ever before -- some for the first time. But it's important to do your homework before launching an online discounting strategy. Here are a few questions that marketers need to ask themselves before slashing prices:

• How much does a consumer (not your CEO) think your product is worth?
• When will a consumer pay full price? When will they only buy on discount?
• What will temporary or ongoing discounting do to our brand?
• What are your short- and long-term goals of a given discounting strategy or promotion?

With that said, there are many examples of companies that are properly executing online discounting strategies. Here are three examples of companies whose promotional strategies are getting it right in terms of tone, voice and creative execution based on their brand promises, value and target audiences.