How Did Walmart Simultaneously Add 6000 Facebook Followers & Sell 1000s of TVs?

Walmart offered a product and a proposed discount for a 42-inch plasma TV on the Walmart Facebook page. If 5000 Facebook users clicked the Like button, Walmart promised to honor the discount until supplies run out.

Over 6000 users clicked the Like button. The retailer, through a message on the CrowdSaver section of their Facebook page, told consumers to return later in the week to purchase the discounted TV.

I think this is a clever way to:

1. Get rid of overstock; and
2. Build up a list of targeted consumers for future promotions.

At the time of writing, Walmart has 2,667,935 Facebook followers.

Could your company offer products at a discount as loss-leaders to build up a following of Facebook users?

Full story at Internet Retailer »