Hasta La Gadget!

Facebook Japan today announced the launch of their Facebook Deals service with an event in the heart of Shibuya. The launch was held infront of the iconic Shibuya 109 building, a popular meeting spot amongst Japanese youngsters. According to the “friendly” staff (who kept pestering us about taking photos) Facebook launched the service today in Japan called “Facebook Check-in Coupon”, after similar services being offered in the US, UK and a number of other countries.

It is interesting how Facebook Japan differentiated the service from the original US application. With Japan’s frequent usage of coupons at supermarkets, restaurants, and the many convenience stores throughout the country, it was directed more towards the already mobile and coupon savvy consumer. A large target being the younger demographic, who already have plenty of experience using mobile phones to receive discounts and deals direct to their handsets. McDonalds, for example, have been running their “Kazasu Coupon” (Contactless Coupon) service for a while now, offering downloadable mobile coupons. The “Deals” service therefore stands to be particularly successful in Japan as Facebook gains a foothold along with smartphones enabling location based services and deals.

Facebook Japan invited two well known mixed celebrities, model and TV personality Shelly and actor and model Yuji, as a clear statement of Facebook being an international SNS as opposed to the likes of Mixi, the Japanese domestic counterpart, whilst at the same time appealing to the young crowd gathered at the launch. The enthusiastic spokespeople mentioned how more than 20 of the top restaurant, clothing, and convenience store chains have entered into the service and are releasing coupons starting from tomorrow. It can be accessed through any smart phone or PDA and simply checking in to a place displays information on the newest deals and discounts that companies have to offer.

Facebook is certainly trying to gain a larger market share to compete with Japan’s social networking sites such as Mixi and Gree. With smartphones rapidly taking the place of Japan’s domestic mobiles, more services which make full use of the technology on offer, and especially tying in SNS, will start to compete in this market. Brands will be looking to use these location based shopping services in an attempt to grab the consumers attention in new and interactive ways.

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