The Groupon versus Google showdown....

Mashable.com broke the story today about Google trying to come up with its own Groupon type site. My previous post before this goes into a little detail about the state of the social coupon industry. So now, with today's news it is essentially Google vs. Groupon vs. Amazon (Livingsocial). There are a lot of things to think about with this announcement. Here are some ideas for my students to write about in their social media blogs this week.

What is going on over at Groupon's headquarters today? (I am guessing chaos). How should they react?

Do the resources of Google make it the clear cut front runner to win this showdown or will Groupon's "top of mind" advantage that came with being the first to market be enough to fight off the giant?

Where does Facebook fit into all of this? Should they enter the market?

Why didn't Google try and buy LivingSocial.com?

Is it possible to have too many social coupon sites?

Is the market sustainable?

Which businesses are best suited to use social coupons? Which should not?

Does this move hurt Google's "Do no evil" reputation, or is this just business?

Does patent protection fit into this anywhere, or is it not possible to patent a business model?

If you had Google's resources, how would you differentiate your new social coupon service?