Privacy not at issue…
Our privacy controls give users the power to decide what and how much they share and under no circumstances will they be forced to sacrifice this to use a new product. If a user only wants to share their deals with a few close friends, then they can adjust their privacy settings to allow this to happen.
Because information is spread through the news feed on Facebook, businesses don’t have to rely on “proactivity from the user” as claimed in the article, nor do they have to rely on the person being in the vicinity of the deal. Through organic stories in the news feed, users can find out about great deals that their friends have redeemed wherever they are.
Facebook is about responding to the way people are acting online and providing them with a better experience, not “pre-empting” the next competitor.
Many of us already share the who, what and where of our daily lives in our status updates. Facebook Deals allows us to share experiences from the places we’ve been to, and for brands it connects the online conversation with the bricks-and-mortar shop.
From the deals that have launched in the UK, Yo! Sushi’s sold out in a couple of days and Mazda has extended its offer from the five dealers at launch to all dealerships nationwide. Deals not only provides socially and geographically relevant offers, it encourages lasting connections to be made between the person redeeming the deal and the brand – connections that can be nurtured after the deal has expired.
Location marketing is still a new area for many brands so to suggest that those taking advantage of this are invading users’ privacy is both naive and unconstructive to the future of the marketing industry.
Sophy SilverHead of PR and communications UK & IrelandFacebook
