Case Study

KQED’s Groupon

Download pdf of KQED’s Groupon

Description and goals

KQED wanted to increase their number of new members. Rather than run a campaign on their site, or by sending direct mail, KQED created a Groupon that was sent out to every user in the northern California area. The Groupon was for 50% off basic membership, an amazing deal that was only activated if enough people signed up.

Outcomes

The campaign was a success. More than 500 people signed up, and almost all of them were new members. It was mentioned 58 times on Twitter and multiple times on Facebook. The number of people that signed up through one Groupon deal was equivalent to more than 50,000 pieces of direct mail.

Challenges and successes

The challenge with using Groupon is that the deal does not activate unless enough people sign up. In order to succeed in using something like Groupon or Living Social, it is important that it is spread through other forms of social media. In addition to being emailed to every single Groupon user in the Northern California area, the message spread through Twitter and Facebook, which increased the virality of the Groupon deal, helping it to be activated.