Gannett's online daily deals site is selling discounted fashion merchandise from a national retailer -- rather than a local one -- according to a recent DealChicken promotion I received. That's on top of the travel deals also sold by national discounters.
Until now, I was under the impression DealChicken focused on selling services and goods from community-based businesses. Indeed, on its about page, the site says it works with "top neighborhood businesses and then cultivates the best local deals."
The latest pitch is for Kenneth Cole pocketbooks sold by Ten Haute, which describes itself as "an online deal destination that specializes in fashion and accessories."
Ten Haute's mission, it says, "is to take a leading role in providing premium brands and goods to military service members, as well as DealChicken subscribers."
DealChicken launched nationally in July 2011.
The latest pitch is for Kenneth Cole pocketbooks sold by Ten Haute, which describes itself as "an online deal destination that specializes in fashion and accessories."
Ten Haute's mission, it says, "is to take a leading role in providing premium brands and goods to military service members, as well as DealChicken subscribers."
DealChicken launched nationally in July 2011.
Groupon is doing the same thing with online retailers ("Groupon Goods"). I think it signals a dearth of local deals for both sites as the fad wears thin. And lest the Deal Chicken defenders rush in--all fine and good if the site is making money--but what's the ROI?
ReplyDeleteWhen Sales Reps can't or won't sell Deal Chicken locally and local merchants refuse to advertise, of course you're going to see national accounts enjoying huge discounts.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably just Gannett's first signs of Deal Chicken cost cutting. Why write and pay for a local story if you can just plug that space with a wire story? It's not necessarily a bad thing, so long as the national deals don't become the dominant ones.
ReplyDeleteThe most popular restaurants in town who dont need to run deals or national crap seem to be the only things making money. The spas/salons/laser hair removal/nails deal fads are dead.
ReplyDeleteSo you don't believe in accepting National offers? We should be a one trick pony....I mean chicken?
ReplyDeleteWhen groupon and livingsocial are both struggling give me one reason to believe dealchicken will work out and don't tell me it's because we're Gannett!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDeal Chicken offers from local businesses seem to have dried up in our Wisconsin market.
ReplyDeleteLooks like another half-hatched idea from Gannett. I bet they'll have egg on their faces after this one. Maybe leadership is too chicken to admit mistakes. Or perhaps the local advertisers want to avoid ruffling anyone's feathers...
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, I cringe whenever i see this patronizing DealChicken stuff. My puns were not that far off from corporate's original selling points. Eh, I'm so clever maybe I should go back to reporting.
The problem continues to be the lack of multi media sales reps pushing DealChicken. The DealChicken sales staff cold call accounts that may be running traditional media with gannett already and they simply do not know. It would speed up the entire process and would lead to more deals and your pipeline woes will vanish.
ReplyDeleteYou're seeing this rise in national deals because many markets have only 3 or 4 n the pipeline. I mean, something has to run right?
3:15 - Sales reps aren't selling because they keep quitting or being fired due to insane quotas and lack of leadership. Sales managers aren't hiring because they keep quitting too, 3 have left in the last 3 months. Managers aren't being hired because the sales director has zero sales experience and has other priorities such as shifting blame and attention away from herself by steamrolling everyone else, and spying on the competition to make up for lack of knowledge. With all this drama in sales, who has time to get any work done, you have to spend 40 hours a week just shooing the flies away.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more with this comment. Today it seems someone came to their senses and figured out at least half of the problem; I heard the "mother hen" was booted out of her nest.I can't believe it took so long; now if her little mini me's would go, there might be hope after all..... if its not too late. A lot of good sales people are gone and Dealchicken reputation has been damaged in local communities due to this lady's ignorance of sales and her forcing such rediculous stipulations on the AE's as well as the merchants themselves.
DeleteI was one of those first AE's stifled by their endless demands and quotas. The local sales reps didnt give a damn because even the deals that were running were only selling 10-20, so why embarrass a current client. We had to fight for deals, fight for marketing, and fight for local help....then the blame had to be put on someone. We launched 2 months early and I still got the axe.
DeleteI agree with you 12:02 - the "I am woman hear me roar" attitude is just not working.
ReplyDeleteAt first they didn't want Multi media reps selling it. They had a crew to do it. Now they need Multi medias to help.... Go figure.
ReplyDeleteAs for the national placement that isn't surprising. Slowly corporate digital is taking over the inventory on local sites an blocking local reps ability to sell inventory on their sites.
No way the chicken survives the year. Mark it down.
ReplyDeleteYES! The chicken lady has left the building! But amazingly, of her own accord. The mini me contingent will be quite useless without her, but if we're lucky, her flock will fly the coop as well.
ReplyDelete