Wiz Khalifa And Arcade Fire Take A Different Approach, Use Groupon And Living Social To Sell Concert Tickets

Top acts including Wiz Khalifa and Arcade Fire are turning to Groupon and LivingSocial to connect with more fans and sell more products.

Groupon has become a favorite among those looking to snag a deal on just about everything from two-for-one dinner offers to clothes and now the site and app are hooking fans up with discounts on concert tickets, CDs and more for top-name acts, according to Billboard.

After Groupon landed a deal with Live Nation in 2011, their competitor Living Social to countered back by teaming up with AEG.

"That ability to give this shot of adrenaline to the marketing promotion is a big deal," Alex Michael, LivingSocial's general manager for its entertainment and restaurants division, said. "You get massive brand exposure and ultimately you get sales and so that combination is powerful."

Groupon typically provides fans with a 30 percent to 45 percent discount on concert tickets, which was something they struggled to convince promoters would be a good deal for both parties.

Greg Rudin, vice president and general manager for GrouponLive, told Billboard the initial deal mainly focused on last-minute inventory when it signed with Live Nation. But after a year of persuasion, Groupon started selling tickets in advance, and "as a partner, not just when you're in trouble."

"The Groupon audience is significantly broad ... we've reached them in a really simple way, giving them the easy opportunity to say yes and buy a ticket on the spot. ... And I think that if we weren't frankly reaching the casual fan that was not necessarily going to buy a ticket anyway, that we wouldn't have a strong relationship with our partners," Rudin said.

Wiz Khalifa says the deal was a good move for those who are sometimes left out of the loop.

"I liked the idea of it because there are tons of people who are too busy or they're out of the loop," he said. "So it makes it much easier (for fans)."

So with that being said, be on the lookout for concert ticket deals. You may be able to see your favorite artist for a price that won't break the bank.

Tags

Wiz Khalifa, Arcade Fire