Any company that won’t just roll over before Google’s goals of grandeur must be as sure of themselves as a mouse on a cheesy moon. We’re referring to when Groupon turned down Google‘s 2010 six billion dollar offer to purchase. Fast forward to 2011–Articles like Mashable’s Google to Launch Groupon Competitor, rang in the news about Google’s plans to compete with Groupon by dealing out it’s own discount alerts. This June a google of rats began raiding Groupon’s chedder.
According to the screen grab to the right, Google is taking only measured steps into Groupon’s territory; they’ve only made Google Offers available to subscribers in Portland OR. Then it’s a tiptoe through NYC, Oakland, and San Fran. –and who knows where next.
Groupon’s secret technique to dangling the discount carrot has always been The Groupon Voice. Google Offers attempted to emulate The Voice to some degree in that it’s slapping down a two-step “catch” formula, as referenced below, and filling it with creative prose that seems to be a hackneyed version of the bold and beaming copy style Groupon emails to subscribers.
Number of bristles in your toothbrush: 37. Number of times you’ve forgotten to floss in your lifetime: 3,479. Number of dentists with a friendly office dog named Willie: 1. Today’s offer gets you a $421 dental package including exam, full set of X-rays, and take-home whitening for life at Mt. Tabor Dental – office dog is included in your visit.
THE STORY
Mt. Tabor Dental in Southeast Portland, helmed by pro dentist Dr. Todd Beck, provides professional, compassionate general dentistry services for those looking to whiten, brighten and improve their smiles. Enter this serene, inviting space where you’ll be greeted by…
In this war among internet advertising titans, the best and most pervasive product/service is likely to win the market share. But what’s ironic is that Google’s scion-facsimile of Groupon’s business model seems to violate the same principles of intellectual property as those encroached upon when Bing allegedly took the short way ’round by copying Google’s search results. One might expect a more innovative tack from Google, but if you’re as ubiquitous as Google, who needs its own voice when you own the world of search and Gmail. But Google is not alone in its quest to snatch the ad vim from Groupon’s clutches–consider Facebook’s Deals , which is yet another “clone” vying for discount industry market share.
With the public light now on all the “Groupon” copy cats, one might wonder whether Groupon itself is so unique, especially when their international acquisitions are put under a lens. What seems evident is that it’s anybody’s game out there, and for Groupon to stay competitive they best avoid laryngitis.
