Marketing Pilgrim

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I’m not sure Groupon felt the love when they saw Walmart’s new marketing plan on Facebook.

They call it the “CrowdSaver,” and guess how it works. When a deal reaches a certain customer threshold, the deal is unlocked and everyone gets to buy in for a discounted price. The only difference between Walmart’s CrowdSaver and Groupon (and it’s a big one) is the upfront money.

When you choose a deal on Groupon, you’re committed to buy provided that the deal hits the threshold. (I’ve always wondered what percentage of deals never hit the mark. . .. ) Walmart isn’t looking for your credit card info or a purchase promise. All you have to do to join the deal on their Facebook page is “like” the deal.

When most companies talk about buying office space it can be newsworthy but usually only in certain circles. Well, we are talking about Google after all so there should be nothing ordinary about the space they are considering buying in New York City. Apparently there isn’t.

According to the New York Post

Google appears close to buying the trophy 111 Eighth Ave. building, one of the largest buildings in Manhattan, The Post has learned.

The price is rumored to be tantalizingly close to $2 billion.

The 18-story Chelsea giant carries 2.9 million square feet of space and covers an entire city block — between Eighth and Ninth avenues from 15th and 16th streets.

If there is anyone out there who is truly interested, MySpace ( I want to put their new logo in here but I don’t know how to type it so it makes sense to a reader, which is a BRILLIANT marketing move by the way ) is getting ready to rollout a whole new look, feel, mission, mantra. You name it they’re doing it.

According to Bloomberg News

News Corp.’s MySpace is introducing a new website design with a focus on younger users in a drive to stem subscriber losses and distinguish itself from Facebook, the biggest social network.

Starting today, most U.S. users will be able to access the site’s most-popular music and videos, updated in real time. They can choose between homepage views and earn rewards for postings, according to Beverly Hills, California-based MySpace. The new version will be available worldwide by the end of November.

When you think of coupon clippers, you probably picture a stay-at-home-mom snipping in front of the TV in order stretch the family budget. But according to a Deals.com poll, that’s not completely true.

MyType conducted the poll on behalf of Deals.com and they returned some surprising results, like the fact that “People with household incomes in excess of $100,000 per year are roughly two times more likely to be coupon lovers.”

So this is how the rich get richer!

Being an avid couponer myself, I was happy to see that the poll categorized me as being an imaginative, extravert who is socially responsible. I can buy that (but only if you give me $1.00 off.)

Here are a few more “coupon lover” facts:

If you are one of the 273 million people that use Yahoo Mail, we have some good news for you: a faster and more social experience is coming your way!

Want in on the beta? Head here.

Google may be global, but this week, they’re all about the local as they put the finishing touches on Boost for Google Places.

Boost is an easy to produce search ad designed to show up when someone does a related search. Own a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco? Then your ad might show up at the top of the page when someone searches for the best Kung Pao Chicken in the Bay Area. Google develops the pay-per-click ad from a short description supplied by the business owner and all of this is done using the dashboard in their Google Places account.

Says the Google Blog:

“Placement in the “Sponsored Links” section of the page will, as always, depend on factors such as your ad’s relevance and quality. Boost does not affect the ranking of the free, organic business listings in any way.”