July 2013 (Revised January 2014)
Case
HBS Case Collection

Experience! The Finger Lakes: The Groupon Partnership Decision

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Chekitan S. Dev, Gabriele Piccoli and Arnold B. Peinado

Format:Print
| Language:English
| Pages:32

Abstract

In 2010, Experience! The Finger Lakes (ExperienceFLX), a tour operator offering guided tours and concierge services in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, was at a crossroads. The business was poised for growth, and its owners, Laura and Alan Falk, were considering signing a deal with Groupon, the online coupon firm, to see if a Groupon deal would help the ExperienceFLX bring in new customers. While the prospect of marketing ExperienceFLX's business to a new customer base through Groupon was very appealing, the Falks found that designing a deal that met Groupon's requirements while still allowing ExperienceFLX to make money and without endangering their relationships with area winery partners was a real challenge. The Falks had to decide whether a Groupon deal worked well for them, and if so, how to manage Groupon redemptions by their customers in a way that made financial sense.

Keywords

Marketing Strategy; Social Marketing; United States

Citation

Applegate, Lynda M., Chekitan S. Dev, Gabriele Piccoli, and Arnold B. Peinado. "Experience! The Finger Lakes: The Groupon Partnership Decision." Harvard Business School Case 814-010, July 2013. (Revised January 2014.)