Well, you never know around here. We're a forum full of marketers and it wouldn't be the first time someone created and aged accounts for future use. -In this case to possibly get marketers here working for groupon, who you now are paid a commission for finding... Just a theory though, not really an accusation.
My apologies for perhaps coming off a little strongly, it wasn't that I took it personal merely that I enjoy a little banter now and again. As for the commission, I merely get paid a wage when I am in work, unfortunately no commission for me :'(
Also, to make clear I find advertisers and affiliates, mainly CPA and Revenue share based I get paid a monthly wage for this.
This was obvious 5 years ago. As mentioned before, this is a forum of marketers.
Now that I didn't know. Touche.
I've heard of QQ before and if Groupons' partnership with them is strong and excludes FB from their "turf" then perhaps Groupon can survive afterall...
In China. Been brushing up on your Mandarin?
Yes very true, many still don't realise how large the Chinese E-commerce market is merely due to the lack of media attention in the West, and that's down to so many failed Western companies, Facebook, Google, Yahoo, eBay...and the rest.
Yeah, QQ have over 700 million subscribers and are in the Alexa top 10, think they are or were about 2nd. As for Facebook in China, it is banned so they have no way of competing there.
As for my Mandarin, it is 'so so', I have been China 3 times already though
If you ain't got the eyeballs you don't fill the sales funnel.
Groupon would have to Create the traffic. This is expensive. FB has all the traffic they'll ever need already.
Facebook has traffic from subscribers, brand awareness and advertising, such things are necessary when starting a company, these are to a degree still necessary for Groupon however I am pretty certain the ROI per user is far higher for Groupon therefore the expense is covered by those who purchase. In the UK, Groupon is the largest paid advertiser for Google Adwords, so you can imagine how much we spend worldwide on paid advertising, crazy amounts.
Just did. Traffic is still very important. Your comrades at QQ better come through for you or it's lights out.
I was responding to your words: "if all goes well in China then Facebook will have NO chance of competing with Groupon merely because the capital, brand awareness and overall asset value of Groupon will be much larger than Facebook even. "
Very true, without the JV Groupon would find it incredibly hard in China, there is over 1,000 Groupon clones in China already and with a lack of legislation, copyright and patent laws the Groupon brand can be exploited as much as possible, thus being why Groupon.CN is not even Groupon - GaoPeng.com is Groupon in China.
One thing I do admire, is Groupon's courage for entering the Chinese market when so many others have failed and respect them for actually seeking a strategy to entry, thus being to JV with one of the most powerful, largest companies in China.
The key to succeeding I think is communication & understanding, communication between those employees and managers in China and those who are commanding the launch in Germany, as well as the cultural understand which is necessary for the success, let's just hope Germany realises this.
I don't know them all, but the bizzes you just mentioned do not appear to be group-deal sites like groupon. Yes, McDonalds can partner with Coke and sell their products. No, McD's cannot partner with Wendy's and sell Frosties. That is a psychological no-no that would basically devastate both brands in the mind of consumers.
Yes, KGBDeals is a group-buying company, therefore this is their competition as for the others I don't know all of them since I am more focused on Groupon UK.
Anyways, thanks for the chat, hopefully other members find it useful
