Internet Diary Ep.1

I receive daily emails from both Groupon and Livingsocial that always flood my inbox with mostly meaningless offers for cheap deals I would never need nor want. However, I have yet to unsubscribe from these annoying e-blasts because occasionally, I find something that I actually buy. Recently, I found one such offer on Groupon. I found an iPad case that came from a reputable brand in a variety of colors for $7.99. That's a steal!! I bought the case, received it in the mail a couple of weeks later, and thus far have been completely satisfied with my purchase.

My purchase experience really got me thinking about these discount sites and their subsequent marketing strategy. My concerns with these discount sites are two-fold.

1. Increasingly often, I find deals promoted on these websites from companies whom, after further investigation, seem very sketchy to say the least. The company's website looks like it was built in the middle 1990s.... The price is too dirt cheap.... The reviews for the company are horrendous... The list could go on and on. I wonder how the discount retailer's (Groupon, Livingsocial) brand perception will change in the future if they continue promoting less than average businesses.
2. I understand that their whole concept is based around a daily changing buffet of offers, some better than others. I understand that these businesses feel the need to communicate these new offers to their subscribers.... But the overwhelming amount of emails that subscribers of these sites are subject to is ridiculous! On more than one occasion, I have been so fed up with these relentless emails, that I have seriously considered hitting the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom of those emails. These companies need to learn to balance their emails to customers. An annoyed customer is not a profitable one.

Groupon has been in some financial trouble lately. The stock price has taken a big hit from the high mountain on which it once was on. In 2010,  Google was attempting to purchase Groupon, but Groupon refused the deal then. I wonder who is laughing now?