The daily deals website, which is expected to fetch a $20 billion valuation upon its stock-market debut, canceled its investor roadshow and is reevaluating plans for an initial public offering in the face of stock-market volatility, said a person familiar with the matterShayndi Rice - Wall Street Journal
So, is it really stock-market volatility or could it be that investors don’t believe Groupon’s business model can hold water in the long-term? Let’s not even consider their crazy CEO or shady accounting practices.
My wife and I have one rule: If someone offers you $6 billion, you take it.
Alright recession-istas, Groupon groupies or whatever else you money saving hounds want to call yourself. There’s a new service on the block and its taking couponing to a whole ‘nother level. It goes by the name of Offermatic and it automatically ads the savings to your bank account when you make a qualifying purchase. No more clipping or deal-a-daying.
So here’s what you need to do to get in on some of this sweet action. Go to Offermatic and register your credit or debit card. Offermatic will automagically scan your purchase history and present you with offers and coupons based on your purchasing history*. As an example, I spent a certain amount on Entertainment over the past month. Offermatic went in, saw that and hooked me up with an offer for $12 worth of movie tickets from Fandango for $6. If I want the deal, I simply press “activate” and add it to my card. Once I make that purchase in the future, Offermatic will see that transaction on my card and rebate me back the $6. Offers are good for 30 or 60 days usually.
You also get points for completing reviews, referring your friends, etc which can add up to gift cards and freebies. If you sign up through one of the link on this page, I get one step close to a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
*It only takes an email address, password and zip code to get an Offermatic account. Your bank login and credentials never reach Offermatic. Just go try it and you’ll see what I mean or check out their FAQ.
Mashable recently featured an indie film production company that used some pretty creative marketing in order to put butts in the seats to see their latest documentary – Ready, Set, Bag! Of course they used twitter and set up a channel on Blip.tv, but the thing that really impressed me was their use of Groupon to sell tickets to see their show. Starting in the Seattle market, Groupon subscribers were able to purchase tickets to the premiere through one of their daily specials. Not only did the film makers gain lots of exposure from the Groupon deal, but it also allowed the theaters to take a chance on an indie film by essentially guaranteeing a level of attendance to their show ahead of time – something that hasn’t been possible before.
This got me thinking of similar industries that could take advantage of Groupon or similar deal sites. Movies are great and you could also do the same with up-and-coming bands trying to fill a venue, newly minted authors, artists or even attendees to a local event or festival. Heck, I could even see niche Groupon-like sites taking advantage of this idea to market to music and art fans. This type of model works great for all parties involved. Venues know what to expect in terms of attendance, the producer of the product gets exposure for their work and the customers get an exclusive deal at a great price.
What other sort of ways do you think they could expand upon the Groupon model? Let me know in the comments below.
In case you were interested in the Ready, Set, Bag! documentary; I’ve attached a preview below.
