Bridget Carey: The Digital Dish

BizGrouper: A business-to-business Groupon clone

A new Groupon clone comes to South Florida Feb. 1, but this time with a business-to-business twist.

The Hialeah Gardens-headquartered BizGrouper.com offers discounts of 50- to 90-percent off of services that small business owners can use. The first "Catch of the Day" will be a one-year membership discount to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, one month of Web ads and two events of choice for $500 (a $1,355 value).

It differs from traditional group coupon sites, which otherwise target local consumers with deals to venues like spas, restaurants and entertainment. But BizGrouper is for the business card, website and office supplies crowd.

Co-founder Alex Miranda, CEO of website and graphic design firm The Creative Complex, said he came up with the idea when his offer for a $750 website design package was rejected by Groupon.com in November.

"I noticed there weren't any niches for small business owners yet,'' Miranda said.

Miranda, 30, launched it with the help of long-time friend Percy Cabarcas, 31, the site's vice president of sales and marketing.

BizGrouper will feature discounts throughout Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Deals will typically last more than 24 hours -- unlike how Groupon and Living Social work -- since small businesses don't typically make impulsive purchases, Cabarcas said.

"I don't think one day would be enough time for someone to make a rational decision," Cabarcas said, adding that a deal might last two to three days at first, and some deals might be available in a shorter time frame than others.

Some of the first deals to be featured include a mobile advertising package with GoBigAdz, merchant services with PCI Professionals, printing services with PrintHouseUSA, and a branding package with Miranda's marketing company, MyProSuite.com.

Deal-A-Day group coupons are growing fast in South Florida

Looking for a price break on services? The group coupon trend is growing fast, with more South Florida options than even a few months ago. Sure, you probably heard of Groupon for Miami, but just this week it started offering Groupons for Fort Lauderdale.

There are over 100 Groupon-like companies scattered around the U.S., with several targeting South Florida. Two have offices in Brickell and are on the brink of expanding to other cities.

In July, Miami-based CoupTessa.com began offering bilingual deals in Miami, with a focus on women. The founders are men, but have women employees try out the services before posting a deal. They are meeting with investors this week regarding plans to expand to places like New York and Mexico.

Miami-based Dealtificate.com went live in January and in the next 90 days, it plans to expand to southern California and Nebraska.

And yesterday, GottaHalfIt.com went live. It has offices in Fort Lauderdale, but will offer deals in the tri-county area (Broward, Dade and Palm Beach). But GottaHalfIt isn't just limiting it's deals for now to one day, as you can see from today's deal for Bru's Room being around for 5 more days.

Expect more to keep cropping up. The Miami Herald will likely start doing this, since parent company McClatchy partnered with Groupon this summer to offer exclusive deals to readers. And I recently spoke with Valerie Nahmad Schimel, a Miami mom entrepreneur that's working on launching Deal Daisy, a site targeting deals for moms. She also runs the site Miami Munchkins.

In today's story I explain how it works and interviewed a few business owners about their experiences with this new advertising tool. You can read the full story here.

TIP: Going on a road trip? I am, and by scanning sites like Groupon and LivingSocial from other cities, I'm finding great deals for stops along the way. Cheap vacation FTW!

Miami condo billboard spoofs on iPad ads

You may have noticed the clever billboard pasted to the side of the new Marquis Residences condo in Downtown Miami:

 

Look familiar? The Marquis Residences ad alludes to the Apple iPad billboards that are all over downtown Miami (and throughout every other downtown city). A statement from the developer said the condo "embodies the sophisticated consumer lifestyle cultivated by Apple." The ad concept was conceived during a meeting between Len Dugow, president of LGD Communications, and Apple-lover Lori Ordover, managing director of development firm AFI Group, who was using her iPad during the meeting.

Beginner's guide to finding the best digital coupons

With just a wave of my mobile phone, I can get free chips and salsa at Chili's, a free lotion at Bath & Body Works, free queso at Moe's Southwest Grill, free tickets to the Improv at the Hard Rock, a dollar off a Jamba Juice smoothie and a buy-one-get-one free lunch at Mezza Mediterranean Grill.

Being a digital diva has its penny-pinching perks, since texts, e-mails and mobile phone apps keep me tapped into finding the best deals wherever I am, without having to pick up a pair of scissors (well, at least I don't need scissors most of the time).

Herewith, a few pointers for getting started on finding the best coupons. The tools you'll need are a mobile phone (preferably a smartphone that has downloadable apps, like the iPhone or an Android-powered phone), a nonprofessional e-mail address designated for signing up for newsletters and, in some cases, a printer.

A word of caution: For just about every message you receive about a coupon or sale, you will also get a blatant advertising message about a new product. But you can also get great deals.

TEXT ALERTS

Some vendors will send you a text message regarding a sale or deal, usually no more than once a week. Keep your eyes peeled for signs at the cash register or near the door about signing up for mobile text alerts. Often vendors will also advertise this at the top or bottom of a receipt or on their webpage.

And in the case of franchises like Jamba Juice and Moe's Southwest Grill, individual stores may have unique text-number deals; to find out, ask sales associates if there's a text message program.

Examples: Get alerts on Bath & Body Works sales by texting BBW to the number 588229, get alerts of free tickets to the Improv at the Hollywood Hard Rock by texting WINFTL to 59495, or in the case with Macy's, you can only sign up your mobile number through its website. Regular texting rates apply.

If you find the alerts to be annoying or lacking value, then you can always text the word STOP back to end the messages.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Even if you aren't into trading details about your day on Facebook and Twitter, you could at least use social media sites to watch what specials your favorite companies are advertising.

On Twitter, accounts from stores like CVS Pharmacy (@CVS_Extra) and JCPenney (@jcpenney) often send alerts of sales. A community of Twitter users love to use the social network to share coupons and deals; you can join the parade by following popular accounts such as @CouponTweet, @CheapTweet, @MiamiCheap or @Earlybird, the official Twitter ad-sponsored deal account.

For the Twitter-savvy, use an application like Tweetdeck (you can download it for free at tweetdeck.com) to create a group that lumps all your favorite brand accounts and deal finders together to save time, instead of combing through your whole feed and missing a message.

As for Facebook, every business has an account. So before heading out, check that store's Facebook page for any deals. You can check Facebook from your mobile phone with a Facebook application or by logging on through a phone Web browser (though using an app tends to be easier).

NEWSLETTERS

It's best to check your e-mail before heading out the door, since most newsletters require printing out a coupon rather than showing the e-mail on your phone screen.

Some shopping malls, including Dadeland Mall and Pembroke Lakes Mall, will send out newsletters highlighting sales at various shops. Sometimes you'll find 100 percent freebies, like a mall gift card on your birthday month. Sign up at your favorite mall's website or ask customer service if they offer any similar messaging service.

Some newsletters are heavy with coupons, like Michaels, Borders or Best Buy. But don't be surprised when newsletters push sales for online-only purchases more than in-store coupons.

PHONE APPS

You can drown in a sea of coupon apps available in the iPhone or Android app stores, but there are a few good deals to be found. Some advertisers are starting to use Foursquare (foursquare.com), an app that uses the GPS location software in your phone to show what places are near you. It's used to let your social network connections know where you are, but some places are starting to reward you for doing so. For example, for a limited time, if you use the application at a Chili's, you can get free chips and salsa. Alerts of these deals will pop up when you're nearby.

Yelp (yelp.com) is an app that's ripe with deals -- mostly for restaurants. It uses GPS to see what places are near that have promotions for Yelp users. Shooger (shooger.com) is a Coral Gables-produced app that also lists deals based on the industry and proximity to you. Another similar app, Yowza (yowza.com), lets you mark favorite stores for faster lookup.

GROUPON

It's a newsletter and an iPhone app, but no matter how you want to tune in, Groupon (groupon.com) is a deal-finder must. It offers one deal a day for local small businesses in the Greater Miami and Fort Lauderdale area. It's never totally free, but often gives 50 percent or higher discounts off various services. You can give Groupons to friends, but be sure to print it out before showing up to redeem the deal.

The deal-a-day concept is growing in popularity, and you can also sign up for daily Miami-area specials on CoupTessa.com, LivingSocial.com and DealOn.com . But if you don't feel like jumping around, the site 8coupons.com will aggregate the top deals of the day in your city.

COUPONS.COM

This popular coupon site tends to be a turn off because it requires you to install special software to print out the coupon. But if you have the patience to set it up, it's a pretty handy resource for grocery coupons. Check off the ones you want, print them up, and major grocery stores will accept them (even if you print in black and white, so don't waste money on color ink).

YOUR FAVORITES

Now since this was a beginner's guide, I kept the advice short and sweet. But there are tons of other great deals to be found online, like at woot.com and slickdeals.net. Share your favorites sites and deal-hunting methods in the comments!

MyScreen's cellphone advertising rewards users

Mobile advertising comes in many flavors: text-message promotion alerts, banner ads on iPhone and Android applications, and sponsored links on mobile-friendly websites.

But one company, headed by a former Nokia executive in Miami -- is betting it has found a way that will really get your attention -- by taking over the whole screen with an ad after every call. The service is called MyScreen, and it's done trials with companies like McDonald's, BMW, Dove, Paramount, Calvin Klein and Ticketmaster.

"When we started to show this to advertisers and carriers, they immediately took the message that this is the only way today that they can deliver a brand experience in a non-intrusive way to consumers," said CEO Maurizio Angelone, the former head of Nokia's Latin American division.

Angelone said having the whole screen is a compelling sell because it's hard for advertisers to get a message across in a tiny banner ad, or by sending a text message, "which is not something the consumer is very happy to get without any reward."

With MyScreen, the whole phone screen will show an advertisement every time a user hangs up on a call. A user can hit a key to learn more, or close it by hitting the end call button again.

MyScreen is headquartered in Toronto but has offices in Miami. It just made a deal with Latin America's largest mobile operator, América Móvil, headed by Carlos Slim, to launch the advertising service with carriers in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. MyScreen also made a deal to launch in Turkey with mobile carrier Turkcell, scheduled to start in the next few weeks.

MyScreen reported it has secured $1.5 million in advertising commitments. Data from the Mobile Marketing Association shows adoption could be good for the company in Latin America, as 65 percent of cellphone customers in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina are "moderately to highly" interested in advertisements on their phones, and 30 percent are "very likely" to opt-in to receive mobile advertising messages.

The MyScreen's ad service is an application that would be built into new phones sold by América Móvil and Turkcell, or for current customers who can log on to the website to download the application.

An advertising agency would make a deal with MyScreen, which would partner with a cellphone carrier -- and all three would get a cut of the money spent by the brand. The consumer, in turn, gets a reward for every ad they see.

In the case of Latin American carriers, the plan is that customers could get one free text message for every 10 ads viewed, to as much as one free text for every three ads viewed. There is a daily limit, to prevent customers from abusing the rewards program by calling and hanging up over and over again to see more ads. They would also get 100 free text messages for signing up.

Latin American cell plans don't often have the same unlimited text-message plans that customers in the United States have.

"Text messages in those markets are still quite expensive, when you compare to the U.S. where you have unlimited text messages," Angelone said. "It's a big reward for the consumer."

So if it were to roll out in America, he said a different reward system would be implemented, like rewarding with minutes.

"We do it case by case, country by country, because markets are very different," Angelone said.

Paul Kultgen, director of mobile media and advertising for Nielsen, said the reward system seems to be a strong play. In its most recent data, only 10 percent of Americans were open to getting advertising on their phones. But it increased to 32 percent if it could lower their bill.

"So it's clear, like other mediums, consumers are receptive to advertising if they see a benefit,'' Kultgen said.

Nielsen found more than 2,600 companies advertising on mobile devices, compared to less than 300 18 months ago.

MyScreen tested the system in Turkey in August with 500 users for four weeks.

"The results were so good, that Turkcell decided to move forward with the commercial launch and go live as soon as possible," Angelone said.

Mobile ad spending is expected to increase next year, according to ``The State of the Industry: Mobile Advertising'' report by DM2PRO and Millennial Media.

In the report, 31 percent of respondents said they would invest between $100,000 and $249,000 in mobile advertising, and 15.4 percent plan to invest more than $1 million.

About 28 percent of responding agencies had not developed a mobile marketing campaign yet.

[Photo above was taken by Miami Herald Staff Photographer Marice Cohn Band.]

Note: Due to an executive's misstatement, an earlier version of this story had the wrong numbers regarding how many ads it takes to earn a free text message.

Boca company helps Wendy's launch mobile phone coupons

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

Wendy's is about to test coupons sent to cell phones as text messages.

Customers of the nation's No. 3 burger chain who sign up for the promotion and provide their phone number will receive a discount by showing their mobile device to a Wendy's cashier.

Options Media Group of Boca Raton is running the program for Wendy's International, which is based in the Columbus suburb of Dublin, Ohio. Options Media CEO Scott Frohman says the mobile coupon campaign will have a tryout in the Northeast before a planned rollout nationwide.

Frohman says advertisers are spending more on marketing that involves mobile devices, as opposed to traditional media.

Wendy's is part of the Atlanta-based Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.

Talking Twitter with BGT Partners interactive marketing firm

In this week's Business Monday you'll find my story about how businesses are diving into social media to tap into it's powerful marketing potential -- and the challenges that come with getting into Facebook and Twitter.

I wasn't able to work in every interview I had into the story. Truth is, I could fill the whole section with stories on social media if my editors let me. So I want to share with you some great nuggets of knowledge that didn't make print:

BGT Partners is an interactive agency in Miami with clients that include Office Depot, Tupperware and Carnival Cruise Lines. David Clarke, founder and managing partner, spoke with me about the changes he's seen in social media marketing over the years.

"The biggest difference we're seeing is that the strategy is a lot more long term. You can't just look at this as a marketing initiative. This is a business initiative," Clarke said.

In short, he said a more broader approach to social media marketing is being taken. Perhaps the tools are used to manage an event, target a specific geography of users, or for recruiting. And then there's the issue of openness. He says tech-related companies have been on social networks for some time now, but it's only been the last year or so where the larger corporations have joined public networks.

And the challenges? It's not really the money since these are free services to join. It's a resource issue -- which is something I've heard from just about every business I've spoken with. To do social networking correctly and effectively, there needs to be someone manning the accounts every day, and that company needs to also have the resources to provide quality information, he said. And sometimes that means hiring a marketing or public relations agency to help.

Remember when a CEO blog was big stuff? Well like everything in social media, it's learning from trial and error. Clarke said a CEO blog doesn't necessarily drive traffic. Andrea Fishman, BGT's vice president and global strategist, said they've noticed clients get more traffic when the product manager answers concerns in a forum or blog.

"All of a sudden you're getting real access at a level you haven't had in the past," Fishman said. "You're getting a lot more tactical managers that have more actionable information, and that resonates with the audience."

So what's next? Should every business board the Twitter train? No, but for many it has been a great customer service and brand fan networking tool. It really depends on who you are trying to reach.

And of course the Twitter of today might not be the same Twitter we use in a few years. Arad Usha, BGT's lead strategist, sees a convergence of social media, traditional online shopping and traditional online search all coming together into one really efficient tool.

"Information, products and people will all be presented to you simultaneously," Usha said. "You're going to see who has blogged about it, how its been reviewed. You're going to start to see the two experiences really start to merge."

Later today I'll post about my interview with Christine Barney, CEO of RBB Public Relations, whose firm represents FPL, Bank Atlantic, American Airlines Arena, among many others. All of RBB's clients have gotten engaged in social media in some form because -- as Barney puts it -- "If you're not on social networking sites, you're not on the Internet."

Behold the power of the digital mom

Welcome to the age of Mommy 3.0, where parenting answers are found on Twitter, rather than the playground bench. What's for dinner? Better borrow your kid's Nintendo DS, pop in the Personal Trainer: Cooking program, and learn a new recipe. The wired stay-at-home mom doesn't own an iPhone to be trendy -- it's her best way of updating play dates, shopping lists and blog posts. Oh, and if the kids are getting cranky, keep them busy with an iPhone application.

Mom marketing guru Maria Bailey coined the term Mom 3.0, which is the title of her latest book. Tech-heads refer to today's wired culture of Facebook, Wikipedia and YouTube as the "Web 2.0'' -- it's obviously a much more interactive world than when the Internet first launched. But Bailey says social media moms have taken the next step in the Internet evolution. They are carrying multiple devices and using multiple applications to make their parenting lives easier and richer.

"Moms today are bridging together technology to live in a 3.0 world,'' said Bailey, who lives in Pompano Beach. The Web 3.0 is "only going to deliver me results that are relevant to my life.''

Google searches are so yesterday. Ask a question to a network on Twitter, Facebook or a blog, and within minutes a gaggle of wired moms from all over the world are giving specific, customized answers.

This week I have two stories about digital moms (in honor of Mother's Day, of course). On MomsMiami.com, read "Mom 3.0: Wired to juggle" about how moms from different generations are wired in different ways, and the social media influence they have on products.

And in today's Business section you can find a story about how moms are blogging for freebies, and the ethical concerns that are being raised.

If you're more of a Mom 1.0 (...is that like "Mom Classic"?), then I'd suggest taking a trip to TheOnlineMom.com, run by Monica Vila.  Her site has tech tidbits for parents who want to keep up with trends or just chat about helpful tools and concerns. Most of her audience are parents with middle-school aged kids.

"The scariest things for parents are trends," Vila said. "Social networks... sexting... creating a social network."

She encourages parents to embrace technology and encourage their children to embrace it. Computers provide a creative outlet, and knowing what your kids know can be a bonding tool. ...but you might bond so much you end up fighting over video games.

"I still remember my nine-year-old ran out of the room crying 'Daddy! Mommy won't let me play Guitar Hero,' " Vila said.

She also preaches how it's good to know what your kids are doing online so that you can have conversations about online safety.

Vila said these days, you just can't be a parent of young children without being tech savvy. Afterall, how can you limit computer time when schoolwork encourages the use of screen time?

"Technology was a choice to parents probably a year ago," she said. "I don't think it's a choice anymore. I'm saying don't fight it. Manage it."

Deadline extended for South Florida Interactive Excellence Awards

The South Florida Interactive Marketing Association is calling for entries for its 2009 South Florida Interactive Excellence (SoFIE) Awards, which encourage creative, innovative and measurable digital marketing programs and reward the South Florida digital community for their hard work.

Companies based in Florida, or advertising/marketing agencies with clients based in Florida, may submit interactive work produced during 2008 for more than seven categories at www.sofieawards.com. The cost to enter is $150 per submission for SFIMA members and $200 for non-members. The deadline for entries has been extended to Thursday, March 12.

The contest categories are:

• Most Effective Social Marketing/Viral/Word of mouth campaign
• Most Effective Integrated/Cross Channel Marketing Campaign
• Most Effective Direct Response Campaign
• Most Effective Online Brand Experience
• Most Effective Email Campaign
• Most innovative: Newest and Innovative use of Integrated Marketing
• Most Effective Hospitality, Travel or Tourism Campaign/ Site

Digital marketing conference ad:tech cancels Miami event

One of the largest digital marketing conferences, ad:tech, has announced it has canceled its Miami event for 2009 "due to current economic conditions." Ad:tech Miami started in 2007 and has a stronger Hispanic focus than it's sister conferences in New York and San Francisco and Chicago. Below is the e-mail I received of the news:

Dear Bridget,
Due to current economic conditions, ad:tech has made the decision to cancel its Miami event in 2009.

ad:tech is proud to have celebrated 2 consecutive years in Miami with events in '07 and '08. However, we will now integrate US Hispanic and Latin-based content into our North American programs in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. We continue to maintain a strong commitment to the US Hispanic-Latin American digital media marketplace and will also explore alternative and complimentary platforms for serving this ever-growing segment of our industry.

We offer our deepest appreciation for the generous support of the attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, media partners, vendors and our esteemed Miami Board of Advisors who worked so diligently to create such a vibrant and well-received event. We look forward to working with all of you in some capacity in 2009 and beyond.

Sincerely,
The ad:tech Management Team