 On Thursday, Portfolio.com posted coverage on an interesting new website that’s sure to attract tons of different users. Coolspotters.com, launched Wednesday in beta, is a dynamic combination of Wikipedia-like user-generated pages, social networking tools and soon enough, e-Commerce transactions, all revolving around pop culture. Critics are already calling it a “near-perfect mash-up of celebrity obsession, rabid consumerism, and web 2.0 functionality.” Anyone who creates a user account can establish or contribute to numerous “profile pages,” but the info isn’t about them. Instead, the pages are dedicated to “any celebrity, movie, product, or brand of their choosing.” The Coolspotters.com homepage encourages members to “rate stuff, leave comments, follow cool people and trends,” nurturing the social network dimension of the site. The “spotting” aspect essentially can turn anyone into a mini-member of the paparazzi. But it also takes on another meaning. For every two profiles that intersect, a new page will be created- this page is called a “spot.” The article used the following as examples to illustrate this new spin: “…a Lotus Elise is featured in Iron Man, so that becomes a spot. If Mandy Moore is photographed with a Prius, that's a spot, too.” For now, the site is solely built on the informative pages- but in time, each product profile page will have link to an online retailer where the product can be purchased. Income will hopefully flow from two sources; once the e-Commerce function is up and running, “Coolspotters will get a cut of sales they refer to online retailers.” Also, because the profile pages are chock-full of listed interests and brand names, selling and distribution of relevant online advertisements will represent a big part of the site’s revenue. For now, membership is free— but co-founders Aaron LaBerge and Eric Kirsten hoping to eventually offer premium, subscription-based content to interested users. |
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