#11 CrowdSprout Defies the Doom
When I saw this, I thought—how encouraging is it to still be mentioned by the leader in business ideas? Well, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done to make CrowdSprout grow, but it feels good to be recognized! Thanks Trendwatching.com
Here’s their take from http://trendwatching.com/briefing/
“By now, virtually everyone has chimed in on how innovation is the only way out of the recession. So instead of adding more theory, let’s have a look at actual B2C innovations from recession-defying entrepreneurs and brands around the world.”
These cash-strapped times are perfectly suited to entrepreneurs with a soft spot for group buying and ‘intention economy’ concepts. For some of our earlier thoughts and examples, reread our CROWD CLOUT briefing. Recent spottings include the following:
- Parenting / Retail | CrowdSprout lets groups of parents interested in purchasing the same item (think high chairs or cradles or diaper bags) band together to get a better price by bidding, and committing to making the purchase only if enough other buyers join. Whether it’s to buy a stroller or a soccer team, crowd clout is becoming a force for vendors to contend with. More »
“INNOVATION JUBILATION | There will never be a shortage of smart new ventures, brands, goods and services that deliver on consumers’ wants and needs. And if those wants and needs currently revolve around practicality, efficiency and responsibility, and less about traditional luxury, splurging and upgrading, then that’s what brands should deliver on. Which seems doable, judging from the dozens of recent innovations we’ve rounded up for this briefing, courtesy of our sister-site.” Springwise.
o-hollrr. i agree. some nifty stuff from BabbaCo. Glad that Jessica is giving CrowdSprout a try. See her sale items here:
http://crowdsprout.com/categories/show/tms_baby_gifts
BabbaCo: Car seat covers to protect your baby with style.No more fumbling with blankets or bulky seat liners to keep your baby warm, dry, and protected. Create a nap time environment while eating out or taking a walk. Continue living your on-the-go lifes.
This is the easiest, no brainer baby gift I could ever think of. Anything that stops me having to go baby clothes shopping is an absolute winner.
Best use of the color red - Instant Piano Fun
Best use of color for a stuffed animal - Miyim Organic Toys
Most fun I had - Indoor Scooter by ?? (please leave comment if you know)
Best use of scrap wood - Firewood Toy, made in New Hampshire.
Best use of K’Nex to upstage Lego - Giant T-Rex display.
Best stackable toy on backlit table - TWIGS by Fat Brain Toys.
An Introduction to future of ecommerce. Next Post - 5 Photos from 2009 Toy Fair
Best to think of this as a Preface—an elaborate editorial note that I started drafting a few weeks ago.
“THREE DAYS AGO—Monday Feb 16th—I had spent the day at the 2009 Toy Fair in New York City. The Toy Association’s homepage and the slick PR department dubbed the event, “The Toy Universe Comes Together.” I’m not one to argue this claim since imagining the Universe coming together seems amazingly similar to what happens with a Black Hole—all matter colliding into nothingness—just kidding☺ (NB: I tend to joke a lot—so please take things I write with a grain of salt!)
To my 1000+ Twitter followers, I had promised to upload photos from the 2009 Toy Fair. To share insights and my experience. To distill 100,000+ products into a manageable 5 photos. Twitter’s 140 character limit simply wouldn’t cut it, hence starting this blog.
About Me:
THREE MONTHS AGO, I join CrowdSprout.com, a fledgling ecommerce company in Boston, MA with the bright idea of Group Buying—the challenge: How do we enable people to save money by shopping together? Our goal: be awesome!
THREE WEEKS AGO, we quietly launch the site amongst the spectacle and celebration of Obama’s inauguration. This was neither intentional or symbolic, but simply a coincidence. Ever since, like with most new products and websites, our programming and business development teams have been working to improve many facets of the website. The amount of work required to accomplish this is unbelievable! Unbelievable, like a baby’s first smile. As you know, babies aren’t born smiling; it’s a learned behavior. Like a baby, the CrowdSprout Team is flexing our facial muscles in order to make the idea of Group Buying, as one emailer wrote, “I’ve been stalking your site, and I have come to the conclusion that CrowdSprout is dope.” Which leads me to today.
About You:
DAY ONE of a blog that I’ve created for you: Merchants, Customers, and Fans who might think CrowdSprout is ‘dope.’ This blog will be updated periodically so if I haven’t updated in a few days or weeks, it’s probably because I have no reason. One thing that you should know about me is that I am fascinated by designs that disrupt the norm—. Like the em-dash. Or the period. Or like bikes bells. The photos I’ve sprinkled throughout this post are a few examples of designs that I admire for challenging one to think outside the box—Welcome to CrowdSprout’s Blog.
What questions do you have for CrowdSprout? Please leave a comment with your site and name, and I’ll incorporate it into a future post.”
Best,
Jon
Development Team
The Official Blog of CrowdSprout.com Maintained by Jon Li
This blog is intended to supplement CrowdSprout's Twitter Account and Facebook Page. I will post photos, company tidbits, musings about collaborative technologies as they relate to CrowdSprout.
That's all. Enjoy!
