Something Very Extraordinary is About to Happen

Sept. 27, 2011 - PRLog -- Alan Keith of Genentech stated that “Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen.” Today, the leadership of the local Chamber of Commerce is in a position to do something very extraordinary.

The first phase of a revolution in marketing has begun. Brick and mortar businesses, large and small alike, have been brought to the Internet and the Internet audience has been brought to the brick and mortars. It’s been happening a little at a time for years with large national retailers leading the way by establishing online stores. Today large groups of small businesses are seeing customers being driven to their place of business at an unprecedented level by activity on the Internet.

This has all been done under the guise of what we know today as “Daily Deals”. This isn’t about coupons or discounts, it’s about Americans getting the most value they can from their hard earned dollars. Unemployment at record levels, a no growth economy, and economic uncertainty for the future have all played a role. Groupon who started the revolution, brought brick and mortars to the Internet and, the 20 and 30 somethings to couponing. Groupon by total sales has been the fastest growing company in the history of business.

Today the popularity of “Daily Deals” has created hundreds of new Internet businesses attempting to clone Groupon. The leader Groupon is followed by Living Social and now Google with “Google Offers” and Microsoft with “Bing Deals”. Want to know if “Daily Deals” are gaining popularity, just subscribe to Groupon or Living Social and see hundreds and thousands of local deals being completed daily. A study published this September 11th by Rice University found that DAILY DEAL enthusiasm is not declining.

What is changing are the economics of the “Daily Deal” with cost to retailers declining and payment terms shortened. Groupon has charged 50% or more with 60 day payment terms and Living Social 40% or more and 14 day payment. Google the giant has a 20% fee and payment within days. What is not changing is the “Daily Deal” offer which is 40% or more off retail of a legitimate price (Not Inflated), and it works.

Winners of the “Daily Deal” battle will be organizations which can influence and secure the participation of local businesses. Beginning to sound like the local Chamber of Commerce? The winners will also be able to deliver “Daily Deals” across all platforms and provide “Retailer Flexible” options allowing retailers to maximize and control promotions.

What would be very extraordinary is for the local businesses and community to be the winners of the “Daily Deal” battle. For this to happen the economics need to be a model of very modest cost to the retailer, on-demand non-prepay offers, and flexible real-time control for the retailers. Ask this question: “If a consumer is offered a “Daily Deal” they want and one requires prepayment and one does not, which will they choose”?

Place the Chamber of Commerce in the lead position offering these tools and resources to local businesses and consumers, and something very extraordinary will happen. The local Chamber will increase its membership substantially and take its position as a daily participant with every business and consumer in the community. The businesses in the community will strengthen and more dollars will remain at home.

SHOP CHAMBER™ provides the tools and resources exclusively for Chambers of Commerce to accomplish this. The SHOP CHAMBER™ DAILY DEAL costs retailers as little as $1.00 per total promotion daily and offers real-time flexibility to control promotions. The SHOP CHAMBER cost to Chambers of Commerce is absolutely $0 and any advertising revenue received is shared with the Chamber receiving the lions share.

SHOP CHAMBER™ is prepared to support and participate with the leadership of the Chamber of Commerce in making something very extraordinary happen. The SHOP CHAMBER™ resources are available at shopchamber.com on the Internet.