Monthly Archives

July 2009

BOSTON

Do you Groupon?

Yesterday I took the plunge and purchased my first Groupon, a $40 Groupon to Ma Soba, and only paid $20 for it.  To use the Groupon, I must spend $40 dining inside the restaurant before January 31, 2010, and tax and gratuity are not included.  No word on whether it includes drinks AND food, but I’m guessing it does not.  Also, I can also only use one per Ma Soba visit, but could have purchased multiple Groupons.  Sounds easy, right?

Now you might be asking, what exactly is a Groupon?  Groupon is a website – www.groupon.com – and it uses the theory of collective buying power to deliver sweet deals to consumers.  Each Groupon has a minimum limit of how many people must sign up to purchase the Groupon before the deal can be offered.  If there aren’t enough interested buyers, then you are not charged for the Groupon – and you don’t get the deal either.

At present, Groupon only offers one deal per day across many major cities, Boston included.  After purchasing a Groupon, you receive an email the next day with instructions on how to print it.  It honestly couldn’t be easier.  For more frequently asked questions – please take a look at: http://www.groupon.com/faq

While I haven’t cashed in my Groupon yet (I only bought it yesterday!), I plan on testing it out this weekend, and will report back!

BOSTON, FASHION

Sexy Meets Sporty: Victoria Secret’s PINK Line Launches MLB Collection

One would think that a partnership between Victoria Secret’s PINK line and MLB would result in a collection of sporty knickers.  However, this collaboration seems to be starting small (and dreaming big?) with sweats and tees for six major league teams: Cubs, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox, White Sox and Yankees.  The items are cute, look very comfortable, and stick mostly to team colors.  However, there is one screaming hot pink Mets sweatpants/hoodie combo.  Perfect for the girl who likes to stand out from the crowd, right?

While I’m certain that this will be extremely popular with PINK’s target demographic, several critics argue that female baseball fans already have a multitude of apparel options at their disposal.  They also question why Victoria Secret has the number 86 on most pieces of clothing, citing Boston’s infamous “Curse of the Bambino.”  In reviewing the overall PINK collection, it appears that Victoria Secret consistently uses the number 86 throughout the PINK line.

As a brand marketing enthusiast, I can’t help but wonder if Victoria Secret should have left the number 86 off of its MLB team apparel line.  When it comes to sports, numbers on apparel will always have an added significance, from player numbers, to the year a team was founded, etc.  I’m sure if Victoria Secret conducted a focus group, women would say that they’re not buying their MLB team apparel line because of the number 86, but because it’s cute, comfortable, and bears the name of their favorite team.

Bottom line – will this impact sales?  Probably not, except in the case of a die-hard sports fan.  As for their critics, I’d argue that women enjoy having options.  We frequently look at our closets full of clothes and say, “I have nothing to wear.”  Well, now we have a few more cute, sporty options.

What do you think of Victoria Secret PINK’s new MLB line?  Check it out here: http://www2.victoriassecret.com/collection/?cgname=OSPNKMLBTMS&cgnbr=OSPNKMLBTMS&rfnbr=6378