Thanks to the wishy-washy economy and the erosion of the middle class, extreme coupon-cutting has now become something you can do with your grandma over afternoon tea. It’s a regular thing for generation Y now.
By a show of hands that I can’t actually see, how many of us receive daily emails from Groupon and LivingSocial? Oh, everyone. Good, just what I expected.
However, as many of you may or may not have noticed, there are some flaws in the company’s model, most notably, when the corporate giants at Groupon deem “57% off bamboo bottles” a solid offer worth crowding up your email inbox. They might be missing their target market, or maybe they’re totally not, and I just don’t get out enough.
If you’re a Gainesville, Fla., dweller, you’re probably tuning in to KTK 98.5 for your daytime tunes with friends and co-workers, The SKY for your dose of political wit, Country 103.7 the Gator for your tailgating soundtrack and ESPN 850/900 for the latest in sportsball. Yes, sportsball.
However, you could be saving money thanks to these radio properties, too.
All four of the stations are properties of Entercom Communications, the radio broadcasting giant with a branch right here in little old Gainesville, Fla. Here’s the kicker: the company, covering more than 100 stations in 25+ markets, actually invented this revenue-sharing, corner-cutting wheel.
The program, Get My Perks, and its entire concept, existed before LivingSocial and Groupon were even conceived. Essentially, this system is powered by your local radio stations and fueled by your mom-and-pop businesses, giving you money-saving opportunities to the restaurants, recreation and more in your area that you, you know, actually use.
And maybe the occasional bamboo bottle.
There’s a whole company.
(Image Courtesy of NaturallySustainable.com)
I kid.
From the Hippodrome Theatre to Mi Apa Latin Café, and Ballyhoo Grill to the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Heart of Florida Perks gives you the chance to maximize your student and living experience, while minimizing the chances of overdrafting your bank account, something I’m super pro at, and something my mom is obviously super proud of.
Note: Sarcasm doesn’t always translate over blogs.In the interest of full disclosure, I am an intern at Entercom Communications, which enables me to talk at length about Perks.
This week alone, the branch is working with the Pledge 5 Foundation and its annual pub crawl, Gator Stompin’, to bring you $10 credit for only $5 of your money. Discovering this deal was the tipping point in me deciding to stomp around this year. In case you’re a fan of inside information, the upcoming Cinco de Mayo deals will have you saying, “Arriba!” over discounted margaritas and affordable burrito frenzies.
The Heart of Florida Perks deal for Gator Stompin’ 2013.
Clearly, promotion is not my strong point.
The customized Gainesville-centric deals allow you to enjoy your favorite places, often at half the price or an equally good price point. They’re also a convenient incentive to knock a few hotspots off your list of “I’ve Been Meaning to Get There, But I Keep Forgetting/Can’t Afford It/Don’t Know Where My Car Is.”
You can claim your deals from the radio station’s listserv or access them through their social media properties and websites. You get real-time testimonials from the DJs when you tune in to the stations, and you can track and redeem deals with your smart phone, too. The convenience is dauntingly perfect.
Entercom’s team of sales representatives are ACRs (Alachua County Residents for those who aren’t hip to the game), and that means they’re directly in touch with where the city eats and plays. The business, in turn, is cut a check for a share of the profits at the end of the month, and it has the option to turn that income into a bank of customizable radio commercials or another deal to continue bringing them customers they didn’t think existed before.
As a Gainesville business enthusiast and intern at the branch, I’ve noticed how the program doesn’t stop at money-saving. That’s probably my favorite part.
I’ve seen what it does for our beloved local businesses, and, of course, its customers. It’s designed to drive you through the doors, giving you a good experience that’s free of buyer’s remorse, all the while helping out a business that maintains the fabric and character of our community, our beloved “Gator Nation” which – surprise – is much more than will meet the eye on the UF campus.
Truly, though, it’s about getting the city living differently and living well, something I don’t think we see enough of in this hyper-digital, fast-paced, ridiculously expensive day and age. It’s a system of word-of-mouth recommendations that your frugality will love. Learn how to budget now when you’re a single, understandably stupid 20-something, but more so, get better connected to Gainesville while you do it.
Get ‘em while they’re hot, kids.
