Really original branding.
What will Google offer?
51–60 of 81 posts
Re: What will Google offer?
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
Have you used Google Offers yet? With the big map they have as the background of the teaser it seems like it could be quite different from Groupon. They have mapping software built into a couple hundred million smartphones... Could be a nice differentiating factor. Not to mention an established relationship with millions of businesses through AdWords.
> Not to mention an established relationship with millions of businesses through AdWords. I still think you need to have people on the ground. And lots of them. As a small aside, I work for a Groupon-clone website in a non-US market. I've built a very nice Internet-based redemption interface for the business owners to check the clients' coupons. Guess what? ~75% of them don't even have Internet at the POS, they print…
Groupon needed a ton of boots on the ground because no one knew who Groupon was and they didn't have existing relationships with millions of businesses. I think Google could automate a lot of it with good results.
Re: What will Google offer?
#53The back button in my browser is broken on this site. I know it doesn't matter for the product itself, but it's one of these little annoying things that leave me with slightly negative - instead of totally neutral - impression.
You think they'd use this as an opportunity to use HTML5 pushstate.
Re: What will Google offer?
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
Gmail as a product was innovative in many ways (large storage, convenient search). It was much better than competitors, I switched immediately. Not sure if the same can be said about Google Offers.
Have you used Google Offers yet? With the big map they have as the background of the teaser it seems like it could be quite different from Groupon. They have mapping software built into a couple hundred million smartphones... Could be a nice differentiating factor. Not to mention an established relationship with millions of businesses through AdWords.
> They have mapping software built into a couple hundred million smartphones... Could be a nice differentiating factor.
Open up Maps, hit the 'Find Places' button, and pick Restaurants, for example. There's a sponsored, very generic link for Groupon here; Google could do one better by adding a little 'offers available' symbol beside some of the restaurants.
Re: What will Google offer?
#55Sorry, Groupon, it's not like you didn't have a buyout chance. (does this sound coming from the future?)
I think you've got that backwards. Google are the ones who will probably regret lowballing Groupon. Google's track record in social anything is abysmal. What makes this half-assed attempt any different?
What Google's entry into this market means is that it will basically kill off any other Groupon clones, and merely solidify Groupon and Living Social's dominance.
Re: What will Google offer?
#56Since the failure of Wave, does it seem to anyone else the Google has been copying rather than innovating nowadays? Buzz was a copy of Twitter, this is a copy of Groupon, +1 is a copy of Facebook's like button etc... I'd like to see more innovation and less parroting coming out of them. I don't want my search results to be social - I want them to be relevant and spam free. If they really feel like going "social" is t…
Agreed, but this one seems to be the perfect fit with google places and checkout. It's not great to see a Goliath taking on smaller competitors, but the truth is that Groupon hasn't innovated much since it launched.
Don't forget Google Merchant Center / Shopping, formerly Product Search, formerly Froogle. Also Google Commerce Search.
Re: What will Google offer?
#57I'm just hoping that Google won't bend the merchants over quite like Groupon does. A 50% commission seems ridiculous. Hopefully the competition can push that number down.
Re: What will Google offer?
#58Since the failure of Wave, does it seem to anyone else the Google has been copying rather than innovating nowadays? Buzz was a copy of Twitter, this is a copy of Groupon, +1 is a copy of Facebook's like button etc... I'd like to see more innovation and less parroting coming out of them. I don't want my search results to be social - I want them to be relevant and spam free. If they really feel like going "social" is t…
why not stick with what you excel at? Because most companies don't believe that trying to expand into another area will significantly hurt them in areas they already excel at.
Well, they say Rome fell because of over-expansion. Companies can so fall too.
Re: What will Google offer?
#59question is, is google willing to put salespeople, and build organization which is by nature very 'high touch' business? Putting a shiny offers page is one thing, and following up with the daily deal strategy is another...
They already have a small army of salespeople pushing their ad network to SMB. Extending their salespeople's product line to include 'offers' wouldn't be a huge stretch.
Sure would. They're totally different things.
In one, google was the first, the inventor if you like, and gathered the customer base slowly, in the other, they have competition, are late to the game, and probably besides tech savy people who read hacker news or other tech magazines very few people would know that Google Offers even exists without some massive ad campaign.
Re: What will Google offer?
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not just another one -- the Groupon clone to end all Groupon clones. And I mean that literally. Once Google enters the game, who else will bother? Either a) Google will lose against Groupon, proving that it's impossible to dislodge Groupon, or b) Google will win against Groupon, in which case you'd be crazy to take on Google David can sometimes beat Goliath, but if King Kong shows up to the fight as well then David s…
Maybe if it were Apple these would be the only two options. Unfortunately Google does a lot of "half ass" launches. By that I mean they release a product that is the "Google version" of something else that is out there. But they do no marketing, so unless it's amazing like Gmail or Chrome the most likely option is what happens to most things Google clones: c) Google launches, and some people use it... but not enough…
I saw a big billboard ad for the Chrome browser on a UK motorway a couple of months ago. I was very surprised, at least until I saw an IE9 billboard in a petrol ('gas') station the other day.