Marketing Pilgrim Published: “Is Google Looking to Deal Groupon a Death Blow?” plus 3 more

Is Google Looking to Deal Groupon a Death Blow?
Are People Misreading Older Business Executives in the Internet Age?
Social Media is a Hot Topic at 2011 CES
Best Buy Gets Friendly with Online and InStore Magazine

Is Google Looking to Deal Groupon a Death Blow?

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 07:02 AM PST

Following the much publicized courtship of Groupon then eventual rejection that Google got, many questions are swirling around the search giant as to what they will do next in the space they were looking to buy into.

Google's VP of Consumer Products, Marissa Mayer, did an interview for Mediabistro's WebNewser and was asked about next steps in that space. The gist of the answer (that starts around the 3 minute mark) is this

We already do things like this with coupons etc …. We are looking at how we can take that technology and put it to use in the location space.

It's the location space component that Groupon currently doesn't have and Google could have added to the deal giant’s already impressive repertoire. Now without the Groupon effect, you get the feeling that Google would like to utilize their location, places, mapping and more to allow users to walk down a street and get a Groupon like offer from anyone while the potential customer is right there. NFC technologies and more can make this a quicker reality than many might think (especially with the rumblings that next generation Android devices have parts of this already in place). Gotta admit that if that can be harnessed and delivered so the end user doesn't go batty with offers every second, this has real potential.

I also wouldn't underplay any drive that might have been created within Google after they were publically spurned by Groupon. What better way to say "I told you so" then by doing it better themselves and taking 50% off of Groupon’s value?

The big question that remains of course is "Can Google compete with Groupon in this space at all?" If they show signs of being able to hold their own then the race is on. Oh and we did all of this 'analysis' without even considering Facebook in the equation.

So will location plus the deal be the real holy grail of this space or will Groupon's current model be enough to keep it in the front of a very well funded and revenue hungry pack?

Welcome to Speculation Station. What’s your take?

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Are People Misreading Older Business Executives in the Internet Age?

Posted: 04 Jan 2011 05:24 AM PST

I was made aware study that was done by Forbes Insights in conjunction with Google about video and the business executive. Hmmmmm, Google and video, I wonder what the connection is? Anyway, here was the audience.

Forbes Insights, in association with Google, surveyed more than 300 C-level and senior executives at large U.S. companies ($500 million-plus in annual revenues) to learn more about how they are approaching Web video as a source of business-related information.

The chart below shows who did what after watching a business video. This chart comes from eMarketer (Note: We refer to them often because they make data from various sources a little cleaner to understand in graphical form. Thanks eMarketer).

Here's where it got interesting to me. The paragraph following the above chart in the eMarketer article reads

Generational differences ran throughout the Forbes research, with a split in behavior at age 50. While the youngest executives were most interested in video across the board, baby boomers in their 40s had comparable participation levels. It was older executives who had not yet gotten on board with video, and business-to-business marketers must continue to reach them through other means.

What exactly does it mean that they have not "gotten on board"? Is it because they don't act like Pavlov's dogs by responding and reacting to what they see on video?

This is the kind of thinking that gets people in trouble. Here's what I mean. What if rather than these older executives being crotchety hunched over guys who walk the C-suite in their pajamas are actually just more seasoned and able to sniff out BS more readily? What if after growing up in an age where TV was coming of age and seeing how most of what is pushed there is absolute junk has made these people more discerning? What if they know that video pitches should be just as suspect (if not more so) than traditional sales pitches?

Maybe it's because I skew older in these studies that I get upset because the inference is often that older executives "don't get it" or "are not on board". What if the real reason for their lower engagement is that they are actually working rather than watching and uploading videos AND they exercise a level of discernment about what is crap and what isn't based on years of experience rather than doing what the cool kids do?

I think that this idea that the new media world is better is the wrong way to go about this whole change. Does it have the chance to be better? Absolutely. But like with anything else it isn't better just because it showed up. It will only be better because it provides value.

This idea that because video or anything is being embraced in greater numbers by certain age groups literally means nothing. The only real important measurement is what value does a video deliver to a viewer. How many crap business videos have you watched and wondered if you could get that 3-5 minutes of your life back?

Just because younger executives act more on video doesn't make them smarter. In fact, it might just prove that they are inexperienced suckers who fall for the latest shiny object. If that's the kind of leadership the new media era is truly developing then buckle up for a bumpy future.

So what is your take on this? Does viewing more video and acting on it make you a better executive or are experience, value contribution and doing the job more important? Is the lower adoption rate by older executives because they don't get it or that they have a more refined bullshit meter?

Would love to get your thoughts in the comments.

Social Media is a Hot Topic at 2011 CES

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 04:55 PM PST

In just two days, thousands of tech-loving folks will descend upon Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Here, tech companies large and small will present the latest achievements in audio, video, computing, and mobile and they’ll be doing it with the help of social media.

Foursquare is turning badges into prizes by rewarding attendees for checkins. Five out of ten possible checkin spots will earn you a “coveted” CES badge. You can even parlay that badge into a an actual button that you can wear proudly throughout the show. Badge holders who complete the required checkins will be entered in a drawing to win a huge prize pack of nifty electronics.

A number of sponsors are offering special prizes at their booth if you stop by and “flash” your badge. To encourage participation, CES is promoting the Twitter accounts of these sponsors including @intel and @Sharp_USA.

The Parnassus Group will be sponsoring an interesting series of workshops called “The Tweet House Presents: Social Media Success Stories.”

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc. have proven to be extremely effective platforms for creating and supporting customers, but what are the specific philosophies, strategies and tactics that are driving results? In this workshop, the creators of the “140″ Conferences and Tweet House events will bring together executives and consultants from many of the top consumer brands to present the winning campaigns and real-world scenarios that have transformed the way they do business.

Running Friday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, topics include “Measurement and ROI,” “Growing Your Community,” and “Monitoring and Mining Social Media Data.”

On Wednesday and Thursday, the conference will feature sessions on Smartphones and Tablets including “iPad-Tablet-SmartPhone Advertising – the Premium Advertising Platform,” and “The Communicator, the Entertainer, the Commerce Engine – the Social Experiential Network and Device.”

Another interesting series comes from Nielsen and it’s called “Media Money Makers” which takes a look at business models for monetizing content across a variety of platforms. Sessions include “Secrets of the YouTube Superstars” and “Conquering Content Chaos.”

Can’t attend? Follow the CES Twitter anyway for links to live webcasts, videos and the latest technology releases that we’ll all be pining for throughout this coming year.

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Best Buy Gets Friendly with Online and InStore Magazine

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 01:22 PM PST

Advertising has always been about making a connection with your audience, but thanks to social media, being conversational has become even more important. Best Buy is embracing that concept with the official launch of “Best Buy On,” a chatty tech and entertainment online magazine that will also provide in-store video content.

The tricky part of this whole venture is providing interesting content that doesn’t come across as advertising. Best Buy says they’re also straying away from traditional reviews, lest they get themselves in trouble with their suppliers.

Here’s how they describe the venture:

"Best Buy On" is Best Buy's unique take on all things technology. Well, some things technology. Think of us as an online magazine. We're sort of like "Better Homes and Gardens," if "Better Homes and Gardens" were completely different. . . The goal of "Best Buy On" is to inform (and maybe entertain), but not necessarily to sell you stuff. Although, if you do decide to buy something, that's cool too. We just want you to get as excited about technology as we are, to turn you ON to all the cool stuff you can do with it.

Two points for a sense of humor. It helps. Now here’s where they ramp up from fun to “we mean business.” According to AdAge, Best Buy is adding upwards of 100 screens to each of their stores so they can air video content specific to each department. To go along with this, they’ve rolled out an ad program that allows clients to buy into the department that best suits their needs. Outside of the obvious electronic and entertainment products, Best Buy execs say that they feel their program would be a good fit for automobiles, hospitality and travel industry ads.

Best Buy is a browsing store. The kind of place where you can feel free to wander the DVD aisles, check out the latest cell phones or sample the images on TVs larger than your whole living room. Because of that, video displays should do exceptionally well, particularly if they maintain that same trendy, sense of humor. “The Science Behind Kinect,” “Shopping for Someone Else’s Kid,” “Bruce Springsteen Live” — by entertaining instead of advertising, Best Buy’s in-store video program should help the store sell more than ever before.