Groupon to Run Super Bowl Pregame Ads

Groupon's next step in its quest for online discount shopping domination: Advertising during the Super Bowl. The local startup has quietly partnered with marketing agencies to promote the company with some old-fashioned advertising, including buying some spots for the Super Bowl pre-game next month. Ad spots for the game itself, which command prices of up to $3 million, sold out by October.

Groupon has also hired marketing agencies to assist the company with customer-relationship marketing strategies and to test different programs with Groupon's subscribers. Crain's notes that this is a marked shift in the word-of-mouth strategy that brought Groupon its sustained success. With 400 million subscribers in nearly 35 countries, Groupon may feel that word of mouth might not be enough anymore.