We’re not yet in even in soft-launch mode but we’re emerging out of Stealth mode and wanted to share a major milestone at Wantsa for those of you stumbling across this blog.
We are proud to announce that we are “code complete” on the first iteration of the Wantsa Facebook app. We would be honoured to have you add the application and give us your feedback. Also, feel free to share it with your friends. While we are not considering this as our official “Launch,” it is our opportunity to see what our friends think and like about what we have created as well as implement the suggestions and ideas that come from your comments and feedback. Later in Q1 or early Q2, we will give those of you who have connected with us a “Sneak Peak” on the big things coming down the pipe in 2010. Look forward to the Wantsa platform being available in an OpenSocial environment in Q1 as well.
Amongst many of my colleagues in the industry, Facebook apps have become almost a dirty word synonymous with quizzes, Tamigachi 2.0 and other trivial pursuits. At Wantsa we’re all for play but we also believe that the connections we maintain through Facebook have real value to our real lives. In addition to the sheer amount of time spent playing Facebook apps, much has been written about the the quality of advertising offered within these games. Umair Haque recently wrote an insightful piece on the Harvard Business Blog comparing the quality of these ads and the lack of regulatory protection from Facebook to the ongoing subprime mortgage crisis.
Wantsa is all about Relevance, Meaning and Trust. That is why we built an application that allows you to get recommendations from the people you trust most (your friends). But on top of just getting recommendations, we wanted to change the dynamic of how to add value and create real life benefits for Wantsa users…
The Wantsa platform is an exchange centered around you looking for products and services to fulfill your wants. Whatever you’re looking for, we want to help you find it. And we provide you two ways find the right company or person you’re looking for. The first is by collecting your friends recommendations and the second is introducing you to companies willing to present you with an offer to try their product or service.
There has been a lot of talk about how many applications and social networks are looking to make money off of your personal information. Instead, we felt it was important that the people who benefit from this valuable asset is you. So, we put the marketing, branding, advertising and power in your hands. Using Wantsa, you get to see offers and incentives posted by all kinds of reputable businesses, then you choose which ones you want to engage with.
You can see what information they are receiving and you see what opportunity or incentive you get in exchange. If a business wants you to sign up for something, they need to show you how important you are by offering something that inspires you to take action with them. If they want your opinion or feedback, then what are they willing to offer you to get it. This puts you in control and receiving benefits for every action you take.
You gain these benefits and opportunities simply by taking specific actions through the Wantsa platform. All of our offers are governed by our corporate offers policy meaning that What You See [presented in the offer] is what you get and that these are genuine offers with clear terms of use and privacy.
If you’re a business interested in learning more about how we can work with you through our platform, please click here or contact us.
Oh yeah, one more thing… At Wantsa we have a “Want” of our own. The “Want” is that every time we connect a consumer to something they want, we also make a difference and a positive impact on the planet. For that reason, Wantsa donates money to the charity or nonprofit of the consumer choice every time an action is taken.
The result is that consumers, businesses, and non-profits benefit from being connected through Wantsa…
I sincerely welcome all comments and feedback.
David Strebinger
