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2.2.2011 Facebook Deals reach Europe

 Facebook, the social network, is introducing its Places Deals service in several key European countries, allowing marketers to send tailored offers to mobile phone users. Places Deals, being launched in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the UK, promotes discounts and incentives from retailers, restaurants and similar outlets to nearby Facebook members using wireless handsets.  It was unveiled in the US during November 2010, attracting organisations like H&M, Macy's and Gap, and is accessible via iPhone, iTunes and Android apps. "The wisdom of friends has taken over from the wisdom of crowds, through a highly personal experience in the real world," Emily White, Facebook's director of local, told the Guardian.

Among the brand owners leveraging this opportunity, currently available to clients for nothing, is Starbucks, giving the first 30,000 individuals "checking in" to relevant branches a free cup of coffee. Debenhams is also running an initiative handing 1,000 shoppers cosmetics products when they visit its department stores. Elsewhere, telecoms specialist O2 awarded the four people fastest to upgrade existing subscriptions a PlayStation or Xbox games console. Automaker Mazda provided a 20% price cut on the MX-5 sports car at five forecourts, equivalent to a £4,000 saving, if buyers sent check-in data to their news feeds.

B.L. 2.2.2011