Groupon Announces New Promotional Marketing Instrument - Clicky, The Clickable Value-Wheel

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) announced the launch of Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel (http://www.groupon.com/clicky). Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel, invites players to sign in with their Facebook login and then spin the wheel to potentially score a discount on select Groupons — discounts are available at values of $5, $10, $50 and $100. Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel was designed to provide momentary distraction and meet the minimum threshold of amusement necessary for users to share Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel through social media channels, thereby virally spreading Groupon and increasing its number of active customers.

“We designed the wheel to spin in a way that appears random - like you could potentially win on any given spin - but it’s not actually random, it’s programmatically predestined to ‘win’ 1 out of 1,000 times.”

“The chances of winning are slim, but not impossible,” said Mike Bennett, Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel lead developer. “We designed the wheel to spin in a way that appears random - like you could potentially win on any given spin - but it’s not actually random, it’s programmatically predestined to ‘win’ 1 out of 1,000 times.” As with many online computer games, the win ratio was determined to ensure that the lifetime value of the new customers attracted to Groupon by Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel will be greater than the total cost of the program, thus making the program a practical and sustainable investment for Groupon. And since spinning is moderately enjoyable, every user of Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel is a winner – metaphorically. Literally, most people will not win anything.

Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel, is one of several potential marketing instruments Groupon has and will continue to test over time, some of which will be successful while others will not. Continuously experimenting with new marketing mechanisms is an important part of the growth of any company. The “win wheel” is not in itself a new concept. Groupon will begin promoting Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel gradually over the next several months throughout Groupon's more than 170 North American markets. The exact speed of deployment is dependent on the accuracy of ROI assumptions as determined by actual data gathered from Clicky, the Clickable Value-Wheel usage. For a behind-the-scenes look at Clicky’s journey from thought bubble to tangible marketing component, visit http://youtu.be/n4eW0zfmxGQ. For full terms of the game, visit http://www.groupon.com/pages/clicky-terms.

About Groupon

Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in 47 countries around the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer huge discounts and provide a win-win for business and consumers, delivering more than 1,000 daily deals globally. To subscribe for the best deals in your city, visit http://www.groupon.com. To learn how to become a featured business, visit http://www.grouponworks.com.