Did you know? Back in November 12, 2008, the KOR ONE was one of the first products to ever be featured on Groupon. We were ahead of our time and didn’t know it. Sure, we had spent a laser-focused three years studying the bottled water market and consumer behavior prior to launching the “KOR ONE Hydration Vessel.” The fact that we struck a nerve when the KOR ONE launched in images only during the summer of 2008 was not a surprise. To be honest, we felt quite strongly that our “vessel” was going to set sail and take off. However, we had no clue that this bizarre promotional vehicle called “Groupon” was going to turn into something. I should have asked for options instead of revenue splits, perhaps?

Flash forward to 2011 and the talk is Groupon will fetch a $30 billion valuation when it goes IPO later this year or next. That valuation adds up to literally millions of frenzied consumers seeking big discounts as they join in to “tip the deal.”

As I started thinking more about Groupon and its “group buying model,” it made me wonder how powerful this model might work to environmental or social causes. Instead of needing a minimum of 200 people buy the facial wax offer in order to save a lousy $8 bucks, what if the deal was more like: “If 200 people donate $10 to provide clean water through charity:water, XYZ company will donate double that amount”?

With social or environmental movements, one of the biggest obstacles is the “free rider” problem we face that goes something like this: “While I might cut down on watering my lawn to help with the drought, no one else in the neighborhood will cut back and I’ll be the only one pitching in.” When we’re asked to consider using less, buying cars with better gas mileage, taking public transportation more often, or use a reusable bag or water bottle, there’s always some element holding individuals back because we feel we’re too small to effect the change. If we had a Groupon for social good, not only might we commit more easily to participate, but the idea might even begin to get contagious — and that’s a great thing.

The KOR ONE feature on Groupon.

Groupon’s KOR ONE Google listing.