With the “daily deals” craze in full effect, small businesses from all over the globe are rushing to cash-in on this innovative discount platform made popular by Groupon. If you are reading this, you probably know the gist. Consumers are offered products or services at a deeply discounted price (usually 50% or more) through a website. Typically, each deal will only be available for a day or two, and a deal isn’t active until a predetermined number of consumers purchase the discounted deal. This concept has come to be known as “group buying”. If the promotion is successful, the business that had a deal featured, will gain brand awareness, as well as, see a temporary increase in sales volume as a result of the deals sold through the website service. In return, the website service (ex. Groupon) receives a percentage of revenue for deals sold.
Seems like a great idea, right? Everybody wins. Consumers get to know new businesses & save money on purchases. Small businesses generate new customers. The group buying service provider receives a fee for connecting consumers to businesses. Win-Win-Win. Many companies are beginning to realize the potential of Group Buying services and are building their own Groupon-clone websites.
With individual entrepreneurs to big-name companies such as AOL and The New York Times developing services almost identical to Groupon, the marketplace is quickly flooding. Enter LevelUp, a web-based Group Buying service created by Seth Priebatsch CEO of SCVNGR. LevelUp is similar in concept to the Groupon model, but provides services above and beyond, which may prove to be more valuable to small businesses who run promotions through LevelUp.
LevelUp is looking to fulfill a need that was born from the current Group Buying model that Groupon has been so successful using. Groupon is setup as a one and done system. It helps drive a new wave of customers into a small business, but doesn’t help retain them. This is where LevelUp excels. LevelUp users are able to purchase a deeply discounted deal online from XYZ Business similar to the Groupon process. However, after purchasing the first deal from this small business, buyers unlock the ability to purchase the Level 2 deal offered by XYZ Business. Purchase Level 2, and Level 3 is unlocked. As a consumer progresses through the levels, the deals improve. This process gives the small business the ability to make three separate sales, as well as, to engage this new customer 3 times in order to help convert him/her into a repeat customer.
LevelUp Vs. Groupon – LevelUp advantages over the traditional group buying model
Game-Like Buying Process: The concept of unlocking a new level for a customer with each purchase they make creates an exciting, engaging experience. The challenge motivates a customer to visit a business numerous times which helps turn prospects into customers, and customers into repeat customers. Groupon shoppers have been called “one and done” customers, a stigma LevelUp is trying to avoid.
Multiple Incentives: With LevelUp, consumers can receive a deep discount not once, but up to three times from a single business.
Creative Discount “Packages”: Groupon has comic descriptions written for each deal. LevelUp puts their creative effort into designing numerous levels of discounts which work together to entice a consumer to come back. For example, a recent group of discounts featured by LevelUp for a high-end Philadelphia restaurant were themed after romantic relationships. The Level 1 deal was named “First Date” and offered $50 worth of entrees for $25. Level 2 was called “Double Date” and awarded the purchaser $80 worth of entrees for $40. If one made it to Level 3, called “Meet the Parents”, they could buy $120 worth of entrees for $60.
Increased Accessibility for Consumers: LevelUp deals run for seven day periods, as opposed to the shorter buying windows offered by Groupon. This allows more time for consumers to come across each deal, potentially increasing the number of sales.
Zero Percent Revenue-Sharing Requirement For Businesses On Level 1 Sales: As opposed to Groupon’s 50% cut of revenues collected from each sale, LevelUp allows businesses to collect 100% of Level 1 deal sale proceeds. It is not until Level 2 and 3 deals are sold that LevelUp begins taking a cut, which is 25% at both Level 2 and 3. Simply put, unless repeat sales are made, LevelUp gets nothing.
As with any web service of this nature, the initial challenge for LevelUp is in building a substantial following of consumers who would ultimately buy the promoted deals. Currently, their site is testing the waters by offering deals only in Boston and Philadelphia. We feel if LevelUp can clear this hurdle, they will become a viable player in the competitive daily deal market. Given the success small business owners have had using Groupon, LevelUp is definitely worth keeping an eye on. If your small business is able to afford selling deeply discounted products or services as well as handle increased volume, LevelUp may prove to be a great way of gaining new, repeat customers. Small Business get started on LevelUp.
Malls are essentially made up of a group of businesses who all share a close proximity with one another. The most successful Treks on SCVNGR are the ones that consumers can complete without traveling great distances to complete each Challenge. Treks on SCVNGR have been setup across cities and local towns, but what’s better than having a Trek that you can complete without leaving one single location? Now, consumers who don’t drive (like teens under 16-17) can participate, as well as, everyone else who visits the mall.
If you’re familiar with SCVNGR then you know that users can be both players and builders, but up until a week ago only the players were able to showcase their activities on SCVNGR through a Player Profile. With this new release small businesses can now continue building Challenges and 
Think of your Builder Profile on SCVNGR as your foursquare Venue page or your Facebook Business page. These are pieces of online real estate that you have claimed and can now use to promote your small business. Your foursquare venue page allows you to leave tips about your small business, run foursquare Mayor specials, and check out foursquare Analytics. Your Builder Profile page on SCVNGR will allow you to show off all of your recent Challenges, Treks, and Rewards that you’ve created for your store, display a description about your small business (filled with keywords for SEO of course), as well as, show your Social Score. 
I guess it was about three weeks ago at this point, when we first heard about SCVNGR here at Catalyst. I read about the New England Patriots using SCVNGR to engage their fans during the “off-season” in the NFL. After a little research, it was clear that SCVNGR is onto something BIG for businesses. We went ahead and penned our first post on using 
Here at Catalyst Marketers, we were fans of SCVNGR before we started our relationship with them, now that they’ve engaged us, and taken an interest in what we do, we are HUGE advocates. Every time we write a blog post about SCVNGR or tweet about them to our followers, the SCVNGR brand grows. Who knows, perhaps we’ll even write our next eBook, in our Driving Growth for Your Small Business eBook Series, on SCVNGR. SCVNGR created a remarkable product, and they are now using online tools to help build relationships with early adopters, and drive growth – IT’S WORKING. Now, that’s the power of using online tools, like Twitter, to build your brand!
Starbucks should create a National Trek on SCVNGR, whereby customers who stop at stores across the U.S. will check-in and complete Challenges at each location. Starbucks can even create a Global Trek on SCVNGR. The possibilities don’t stop there, as local county-based Treks can be built, or Treks for a city. What I’m saying is that if you own multiple stores, you can build a Trek on SCVNGR for your business. You don’t have to be Starbucks to take advantage of this creative marketing opportunity. Perhaps you’re a chain of 3 local donut shops, a chain of 11 regional hotels, a chain of 20 gyms…whatever business you’re in, SCVNGR provides a platform for you to engage your customer across multiple locations. 
“SCVNGR is a game about doing challenges at places”. People play SCVNGR by going places, doing challenges, and earning points. SCVNGR is currently available for both the iPhone and Android. With that said, one really cool feature is that anyone can play as long as they can text & snap pictures from their phone. Similar to foursquare, SCVNGR has given the user the power to add to the game by adding places (think venues on foursquare), creating Challenges, and even building Treks. Challenges are built into every location on SCVNGR. Challenges can range from snapping a photo, scanning a QR code (this is pretty unique), or taking part in an activity. Users then earn points based on the Challenges that they complete. Treks are a series of Challenges. Treks can be completed as one-time events, or can be on-going. Treks can also be completed over time. When completing a Trek, SCVNGR users go from place to place completing challenges. What’s really cool about SCVNGR is that business owners can build their own Challenges and Treks! This feature provides TREMENDOUS marketing value to small businesses.
SCVNGR provides small business owners with yet another fantastic platform to use to reach, and engage their customers. Building Challenges on SCVNGR entices your customers to take part in an activity while at your location. That activity is then shared with others who are connected to your customer on SCVNGR. You can change challenges as often as you’d like for your business. This will help keep customers engaged. 
