I was made aware of this video when doing research on digital swarms and after watching it I started to wonder whether this is the next big thing for social media.
For those who are new to the digital swarms concept, it is based around the power of the consumer. The more consumers that sign up to purchase a service/product, the cheaper the deal becomes. To ensure they get the deal or to lower the price even further, consumers then share the deal with their friends through social networks.
A great example of a digital swarm is Ouffer, a site which features a great deal each day (e.g. pay $20 and get a $40 voucher at a particular restaurant). You only get the deal if enough people agree to purchase it within the allocated time limit. OfferMe, another example, allows consumers to request the items they want to buy and list how much they are willing to pay.
As soon as I saw these sites I was hooked and just recently I committed to buying a deal which fortunately for me (although unfortunate for my wallet) was committed to by enough people for the offer to go live.
I love the idea of digital swarms and judging by the popularity of many of these sites so do a number of consumers. I am always after products/services that provide value for money but that are also of a good quality which these ‘offers’ provide. I believe that these sites will be highly successful as they provide a great platform to connect like-minded consumers to get deals relevant to them.
It also provides a great opportunity for businesses to get consumers through the door whom may not have considered them before. Additionally, if the business then offers an unforgettable experience (in a good way of course!) it is likely that they will receive not only repeat business but referrals to family and friends.
I am now looking forward to redeeming my deal which involves a couple of hours of pure relaxation whilst also looking out for more great deals to make a further dent in my wallet!
Image courtesy of http://www.wordle.net/
Petra, this is so insightful! I had never heard of digital swarm before. It sounds like it could actually become a little addictive… Probably best for my wallet that I don’t look at it! I might just have a sneak peek…
Interesting concept, hadn’t really heard of it before. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like I could become a full time shopper! Only trouble is that it takes time …and my job takes too much of it!!