Google Offers: Really, Another Blatant Groupon Copy?

Google today launched a sign-up page for its anticipated Google Offers beta, saying the service will soon offer “50% off or more” at “places to eat, shop, play & stay” via “regular emails.” The company said its first beta-testing city will be Portland, Oregon, and also offered options to sign up in neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City.

While there’s little information available as yet, there’s nothing from the snazzy landing page or cute hype-building promotional video that indicates Google Offers will do anything different from Groupon and its various clones. A form asks interested merchants to sign up to be contacted, indicating the platform may not be self-serve.

Not to say copying Groupon is not a bad business model; it’s obviously worked for LivingSocial, and Facebook will soon launch a Deals service as well.

But obviously Google has many weapons at its command, including its sales force, brand and automatic recognition of signed-in users’ email addresses. Plus, there’s the motivational sting of failing to buy Groupon after serious talks late last year. “The possibilities are mind-numbing!” says the Offers video. Or maybe they’re the same as what we’ve seen before.

http://twitter.com/sanelly Sanel Selimovic

The way Groupon works is by hiring thousands of salespeople throughout the country who go from business to business and try to hammer out Groupon deals with the owner. Financially speaking, they could pull it off. However, Google is known for not having a customer support call center even in light of their issues with Nexus One few years back. A Groupon-like service requires a personal and customer-focused approach, not an algorithm.
http://twitter.com/sanelly Sanel Selimovic

I would also like to add that I am a user of Groupon and Buy With Me and I’ll gladly use Google Offers if the deals are on par. I just hope they are not underestimating the amount of work that goes into getting these deals and the salesforce needed. It doesn’t happen on its own.
Anonymous

Yep, heaven forbid someone copy Henry Ford and build another assembly line car company! Or someone copy The Bible and write another book! Or someone copy the Wall Street Journal and publish another newspaper! Or someone copy Harvard and establish another university! Or someone copy McDonald’s and run another fast food restaurant! Because all of these first comers, all of them, had perfected the business model beyond all replication.
http://networkeffect.allthingsd.com Liz Gannes

Sure, but you’d think Google would at least try to spin the idea forward
with some innovation or fresh angle.
Anonymous

Google wasn’t even the first search engine. They just did it better than their competitors, and it looks like LivingSocial and Google and Facebook are going to try to do the same to Groupon. Can’t just buy into their marketing and call it a unique business model.
http://networkeffect.allthingsd.com Liz Gannes

Yes, and Groupon wasn’t the first daily deals site either. But it’s amazing
how prevalent their formula has become.

Google Offers: Really, Another Blatant Groupon Copy?

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