Posted Monday March 28, 2011
From WWD.COM
Fashism, continuing on a crusade to make brick-and-mortar shopping as efficient and painless as possible, unveiled its second generation Thursday.
The mobile app and social game, which launched in August 2010 with a roster of celebrity investors that includes Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and Nina Garcia, is expanding upon its innovative focus of users crowdsourcing shopping advice. Originally, community members were encouraged to upload images of themselves wearing items for potential purchase, inviting input and advice from fellow users, but Fashism 2.0 goes a step beyond this.
“[Version] 1.0 was strictly about advice, and 2.0 is about directing who you want to comment on your outfit and sharing,” said co-founder and chief executive officer Brooke Moreland. “You’re able to get better advice. It’s about tapping into your existing networks.”
Making dressing room decisions is often difficult for shoppers who fly solo, which is why Moreland and co-founder and chief marketing officer Ashley Granata thought it so important to enhance the main features of the app. Now, due to geo-location capabilities (via Foursquare’s open API), users can tag photos with the store they’re at and its exact location, as well as the brands they’re wearing. There’s also a sharing component that allows users to send a text (once an image is uploaded and a post is created) with a direct link, so friends can give advice on whether the sender should purchase. Sharing can also take place via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.
A new discovery component also exists, where people can hit a “nearby” button after tagging their location and see what stores are around them and what other users have tried on at those retailers. Additionally, an “augmented reality” feature lets you hold up your mobile device and see the highest-rated outfit in every surrounding store.
Fashism.com currently has 58,000 members and receives nearly 1 million page views a month — and the mobile app has been downloaded 80,000 times since its launch seven months ago. “There’s a relatively low user base for the amount of page views, but we have a really engaged audience. Users spend on average about 15 minutes on the site per visit. They are pretty addicted,” Moreland said.
About to roll out several sponsored programs with brands in the coming months, the company is expected to make revenue the second quarter of this year.
