Category Archives: internet

The unbearable lightness of Groupon promo copy

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I’m a big fan of Groupon. Though not the only, or even the best, example of promoting consumer discounts through collective buying, Groupon remains a Big Kid on the Block.

But am I the only one who skims through the opening gambit every day? Some examples of some recent cringeworthy copy:

Multitasking makes both activities more enjoyable, as demonstrated by the popularity of eating in the shower and bird watching while regretting a chosen career path.

Despite outnumbering the enemy by large serving portions, General Custard’s cupcake army proved no match against the rogue sweet teeth and difficult terrain of Candy Mountain.

Much like Ted Williams and Barbaro, yogurt is full of so much greatness that it must be frozen so it can be shared with future generations.

Who, exactly, is the audience for these saucy nonsequiteurs? They seem to try to tread a fine line between ironic and playful. For me, it’s like the person at the party who’s doing a crazy little dance to get your attention, and then when he’s got it and you look closer, it turns out that he’s a pretty normal guy. Or ad pitch, as the case may be. Why the initial jumping? Why the playful language that immediately is discarded?

Maybe pitch writing duties are divvied up per sentence. John, you write the body of the pitch. Sarah, you make sure all the information is correct. And the first sentence will be handled by Nweobaseroiu.

Finns declare access to broadband a basic right

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… says BBC News:

From 1 July every Finn will have the right to access to a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection…

Speaking to the BBC, Finland’s communication minister Suvi Linden explained the thinking behind the legislation: “We considered the role of the internet in Finns everyday life. Internet services are no longer just for entertainment.

“Finland has worked hard to develop an information society and a couple of years ago we realised not everyone had access,” she said.

Hear, hear.
Although it bears mentioning that 96% of Finnish households are already wired.

Still, it’s nice that the final 4% will get a boost up. The internet has become far more than the sum of its funny cats and gambling sites. You can accomplish a wide variety of social and civic functions online, from renewing your library books to checking in with the unemployment office to finding health information. It was always this way, of course, but now even more so as governments and organizations realize the long-term cost savings an online presence can provide them. (Not all, but many). Between direct deposit and online banking, I hardly step foot in a bank anymore. I renewed my motorcycle registration online. I think in both instances everyone was happier in the end.

And public wireless in the US, purported to be a public/private partnership of sorts, has ground to a virtual halt during the recession. The 2009 Broadband Bill has, as this article says, something to disappoint everyone. Sigh.