Google’s offer to snap up Groupon for $2-3B is big news (see: Venturebeat.com)

The advantages to Google are obvious: Functioning as a bolt-on to its existing ad buying platform, Groupon would give AdWords advertisers the added option of running local promotions. In fact, Groupon’s reverse auction scheme seems like an idea fit for Google.

Not to over-simplify it, but basically Groupon would become a new radio-button to click on in the AdWords system.

Naturally, a deal of this size is like blood in the water for other suitors like eBay, Microsoft and Amazon. Unfortunately, if history is any guide, of these three, Amazon offers the only true alternative.

But, let me suggest an alternative for an even better tie-up/partnership: Intuit.

As an avid supporter of small businesses, here’s my case for a Groupon+Intuit (G+I) partnership:

1. First and foremost, I hope any deal will be based on what new services can come out of the partnership that neither party could create on their own.

   In the case of G+I, it’s about what both Groupon and Intuit can build together for small businesses. Where Google may make short-term sense for Google’s F500 customers and a handful of savvy web marketers, a Groupon+Intuit partnership accomplishes something bigger.

   Intuit brings more than 3 million, eager small businesses to the deal. Leveraging social media, G+I would be a new, cost-efficient conduit to prospective customers for small businesses.

   Talk about a shovel-ready, economic stimulus!

2. Operating the Google AdWords platform requires skill beyond the scope of most small businesses. For one, buying ads is, at best, confusing. And two, the necessary web page modifications are non-trivial.

   Groupon has no such burden. In fact (other than the reverse-auction price mechanism), Groupon promotions operate similar to other price promotions a small business might run already.

   While Google wouldn’t necessarily have to integrate Groupon with AdWords, I seriously doubt they will avoid the urge.

3. Intuit gets instant increased social media savvy. [corrected based on Kira's comment, below]
   They don’t have it today…and they need it. As far as I can tell, only a handful of Intuit folks are on Twitter, the most popular being @IntuitInc (the PR/Marcom team) with just 1,525 followers. Compare that to Groupon’s founder, Andrew Mason, with 3.4x more followers.
4. Intuit’s Grow Your Business Division (the most likely group inside Intuit to run the partnership) needs a win. Stuck on offering me-too web services like web hosting, G+I would catapult them into a wide-open field (think: Blue Ocean Strategy).

Unless I’m missing something, Groupon doesn’t need the cash. If that’s the case, there’s a mountain of money on the sidelines aching for opportunities like Groupon.

So if Groupon is looking for a partner, I believe an Intuit deal is strategically better.

What do you think?

PS, in case you’re wondering, I have no business relationship with any of the companies mentioned in this article.

Few people love Starbucks coffee as much as I do. Serious. I’ve been brewing it up at home and frequenting their stores since they first came to Chicago. 15+ years?

So when Starbucks started running their (very expensive) print advertising campaign (full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal, et al), I was really pumped to see how they were going to reclaim turf lost to McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts.

But when I saw the ads I was nonplussed. No call to action. No “come back Shane” offer. Nothing. Not even a simple download to get a white paper on taste test, or something. Just another chapter in the long book of echo-chamber ads, which appeal to only the most insider of insiders.

This kind of ad is merely for image-alone (satisfy grumpy shareholders?). There’s no way to measure the effectiveness of this ad campaign (a call-to-action would have done that).

Why am I so sensitive to this kind of lame advertising? Because I ran two campaigns like this during my career (one at U.S. Robotics and the other at Productivity Point International) and they, like this one (I’m predicting) were abject failures. They are the worst kind of marketing because they do so little to move the needle. You read the ad, say to yourself, “that was nice,” and turn the page.

Just think what Starbucks could have done

For example, they could have printed a 2-for-1 deal. You know, bring a friend and get two coffees for the price of one (no specialty drinks, just the hot java). To make it fun, why not offer a bounty for Starbucks aficionados (like me) for bringing in a ‘ buddy (like my friend Brant Dolan or Mark Smith) who don’t like Starbucks?

At least my ideas would break the monotony of these beat-my-chest, “I’ve got the best product in the world…if only people would wake-up” ads.

[Note: Ad images courtesy Competitrack.com. I wrote about how to use Competitrack (see this Marketing Strategy) to analyze your competitor's advertising activity, as well as estimate their media budget. Kinda helpful to know what your competitors are doing and how much they're spending BEFORE you go into the board meeting to ask for marketing dollars, especially these days....]