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The Groupon Editorial Manual (docs.google.com)
58 points by emilepetrone on Dec 8, 2010 | hide | past | favorite | 13 comments



It's pretty remarkable to see something non-technical (e.g. broadly-appealing/humorous marketing) put into a framework like this.

I just wonder if it dilutes the value a little bit. I've always enjoyed the jokes in their emails, but now that their cookie-cutter nature has been revealed, I might look at them differently.


Essentially all large publishers have official internal standards to put their corporate voice (and use of English -- or whatever) somewhere where it can be standardized, taught, and reproduced effectively. The New York Times Manual of Style, for example.


Maintaining a voice is important, and style guides and guidelines are important in enforcing this; plus, most of the content herein is what _not_ to do rather than what _to_ do, so it's more about what the cookie cutter isn't cutting than what it is.


I would like to see Trader Joe's stylesheet/writing manual. You can find a lot of similarities in Trader Joe's quarterly newsletter to Groupon's tounge in cheek writing. I have always thought that Trader Joe's pioneered this sort of marketing. In fact, if you read their newsletters, you'll also see cute illustrations of animals posing questions or asides.

For example: "Much as Hemingway captured the spirit of Paris in the 20’s, Trader Joe’s Pork Roast Florentine captures the spirit of, well, roast pork on your dining table. (You didn’t think we’d compare ourselves to Hemingway, did you?)"

http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/flyers/state-flyers/az_flyer.p...


As an enthusiast of pagan mythology, I am offended by their calling Zeus a Roman god.


Etymologically, "Jupiter" is a contraction of "Zeus pater", but still, it itched my concealed mythological smugness as well.


The thesaurus is hilarious. Definitely worth a look - this should be compiled or something.

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dmv9rbh_9f7rf2vfs


this should be compiled or something.

As a slang thesaurus in general? Groupon coined nearly every term in that particular list...

If you're looking for terms that are in wider use, I maintain a slang thesaurus. (The only free one on the web, actually.) Here's the body parts category for comparison's sake:

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/thesaurus/words+meaning+ana...

(Caution: Many slang words relating to anatomy are not work-safe.)


Variety is proud enough of their editorial "slanguage" to share it with the rest of the world: http://www.variety.com/static-pages/slanguage-dictionary/


It's a shame that this list doesn't properly differentiate between the terms they claim to have coined, and all the rest.

Some are specifically highlighted as being coined or not coined by Variety, and the rest are just left ambiguous.


I have confirmed with a friend who works at Groupon as an editor that this is legitimate, also that it getting out isn't really a big deal.

This is a cute look into a fun company.


This is just a good guide for people on the internet in general


Groupon is bordering on spam.




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