photo © 2008 Dirk | more info (via: Wylio)UPDATED (below)
By now, you've either seen or heard about the Super Bowl Commercials for Groupon.
Head over here to see them.
What was missing last night was that they are ATTEMPTING to collect donations for them. The ad as shown online or in front of millions last night had ZERO indication that they were attempting to help Tibetans, whales, or the rain forest. Just that you should feel good about saving money, while those situations were going on.
I'll grant that tons of people could have cared less. But many of the deals that Groupon puts out fit the model and customers that are the right people who WOULD donate to these causes, but why would they bother with Groupon to do it. The Tibetan cause will get $300,000 if 1000 of us "buy" $15 of Groupon's Tibetan deal. Kind of defeats the purpose eh?
While most Americans could probably careless, think of all the Chinese that are now PISSED at Groupon- right when they were trying to break into that market? And the deal isn't going away until June 30th! Doesn't seem particularly bright.
I guess they are okay ticking off a minority just to get more people to sign up for their service, but I dropped it. I know they won't miss me. I might miss the few deals that I had bought into, but there are so many other competitors coming into their space I doubt I will miss out on much for long.
Livingsocial for example had a Superbowl spot- it was innocuous, but it did get their name out to how many people in one shot without leaving such a bad taste in their mouth?
The Livingsocial one was cute until the transvesite ending (wonder if that turned people off?).
Much of Groupon's growth is coming from the global market, but they might have pooched a lot of the growth.
What did you think?
Update:
Andrew Mason posted a standard non-apology apology on the Groupon blog today.
He doesn't do much more than say sorry you were offended, but look at what those other ads were doing. We would never mean to offend you. "Our ads highlight the often trivial nature of stuff on Groupon when juxtaposed against bigger world issues, making fun of Groupon."
Was there ANY point that Groupon was made fun in those ads? Mason says they have changed the ads to reflect the philanthropy involved- last I looked nothing had changed.
Wow,
