Pelago knows that just about every location-based app in the world is seeking coverage right now just prior to SXSW where they will all battle Highlander-style. So they approached me with a pretty smart pitch: curing the “social rut.” What they mean by that is these days, despite the prevalence of social networks, people are actually less social than ever because they’re being roped into playing games like Farmville and Mafia Wars for hours on end. Sitting in their rooms. Alone.
While that may be a part of social networking (a rather large, hugely profitably part), it’s not really social. That’s why location-based networks excite me: they have the potential to bridge social networking with actual social activity. And that’s exactly how Pelago is positioning the latest version of its location-based app, Whrrl 3.
The core idea behind the new iPhone app (which launched in the store today) is that people inspire others to do things. So when you see a friend is out doing something fun, you may want to join them. Or it may entice you to go out and do something else, and hope others see it on Whrrl and join in. It’s the grouping of people with similar interests into “Societies” that is a key to Whrrl 3. For example, a basic society is that each venue in the application has its own set of “regulars.” If you visit the place enough times, you unlock the badge making you a regular, and giving you access to member-level activities, such as recommendations and specials nearby.
One of these societies, launching alongside the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas this week is the Austin Underground which “will provide members with at-your-fingertips access to the hottest parties, events, and other fun things to do at the conference,” according to Whrrl. Over 50 merchants in Austin are participating to provide exclusive offers, apparently. To unlock the membership, you have to check-in at some of the following places: Four Seasons Hotel Austin, Outback Steakhouse, Cool River Cafe, Chuggin’ Monkey, J Black’s, Red Fez and Third Base, and others.
Other key features of Whrrl 3 include Recommendations — you create these (with photos, if you choose), to let others in your social graph (or your society) know fun things to do in an area. Ideas, are recommendations served up to you from societies you’re a part of, your friends, or Whrrl’s algorithms. Fun Facts are shown each time you check-in to a venue, with information about it. And of course, there is a point system (Influence Points) that turn the whole thing into one big game. What’s interesting about Whrrl’s game is that you can get point by inspiring others to do things with the app. Points also allow you to level up in your societies for more special deals.
All of this is an extension of the “footstreams” idea that Whrrl launched last December. That’s where they also first introduced the society idea as well. The key to both of those is about real people doing real things in the real world. That, in turn, shows what you’re interested in, and allows Whrrl to clump you into these groups with out like-minded people.
So that all sounds great, but will anyone use the app? After all, adoption has been a problem in the past and this isn’t the first time Whrrl is pivoting its product. In fact, they actually did exactly a year ago with Whrrl 2 just before SXSW.
Their main problem is convincing people to use Whrrl instead of the current location-based darlings, Foursquare and Gowalla. That’s going to be difficult because those networks are quickly building up social graphs and once those are established, users are less likely to leave. So Whrrl needs something to differentiate itself, and while their pitch to me is good, it’s an entirely different matter convincing users. And the things that would seem to help differentiate networks like Whrrl actually hurt them sometimes. For example, since location-based services are still new to so many people, it’s best to keep things as simple as possible. But Whrrl is piling on features that, while maybe cool, are likely to confuse new users.
Still, if Whrrl is able to secure some solid deals around Austin to get people using the app and checking-in, that could certainly get people using it. Of course, Foursquare and Gowalla have their own deals too. Then the problem becomes one I’ve had this past week while testing out all these location apps: fatigue. I can’t possibly check-in with each of these apps each time I move from place to place. The people I’m with have started rolling their eyes at me while I take my 10 minutes to check-in to all the different apps.
I’m not saying there can be only one. But one would sure be nice.
Find Whrrl 3 in the App Store here.
We need an app to track all the offers on geo apps.
Please kill Farmville.
yes please kill farmville
Well, but it may not be as huge as FV itself, because, everybody doesn’t own an iPhone.
Already checking in using Foursquare, Gowalla, and Yelp. Another one? Meh.
Why even do it?
Mispost, I mean why even use those three apps?
Really what we need is for all of these apps/networks to open up their inbound API (looking at you, Gowalla) so that a Ping.fm type service can be created that updates them all at once.
That’s exactly what we don’t need. None of these apps have any traction because people don’t want to participate in nonsensical games that are obvious subterfuge for targeted mobile ad servers – “societies”, “footstreams”, “check-ins”, “badges” – wtf? They’re not fooling anyone, so why not just come out and admit that they’re going to track user behavior in order to bombard people with marketing messages?
Location has a huge future, but not in any of the apps TC has been covering. Businesses may eat this shit up at first, but consumers won’t, and once the businesses realize that, it’s all over.
Rewarding someone with tangible offers that they can spend in these place and where the merchants can actually track who’s who maybe worthwhile?
Not just virtual game play and badges
You obviously didn’t read my comment at all.
I agree with Anon. The “game” aspects of these apps are simply to generate lots of data points and, regardless of their validity, use them as a selling point for businesses.
@anon: you could day the exact same thing about Facebook. Pretty much anything you can do on Facebook (write on a wall, post a comment, post a link, play a game, send a message, poke someone etc). simply serves as a data point that can be aggregated and cross-referenced to serve me ads. Facebook seems to be doing quite well.
In fact, pretty much all social software is beginning to work this way.
So, what’s your point? The winner(s) in this location space will simply be the apps that are the most fun to use. All of them will use data for marketing, just like Facebook, Google Buzz etc
Another post about these types of apps, and I still dont see the point. Foursquare, MyTown, Gowalla, and now whrrl….
And you say one of the purposes of Whrrl is to try to get people to try something new. Really? Since when do you need an app for this?
$22.4M, 3 major pivots of Whrrl and Pelago still doesn’t understand that “it’s best to keep things as simple as possible” and are “piling on features”. Pelago has been around since 2006 but it wasn’t until Foursquare showed up at last year’s SXSW with a handful of employees (and only very recently $1.35M in funding) that users started talking about location. Foursquare created a compelling product that has actual users. Jan 2010 compete: Pelago < 5K, foursqure: 400K. I think it's safe to say that Pelago doesn't get it and never will. What a waste.
Funny, they said that about a stupid service that lets you broadcast 140 charater messeges. Never work, nobody would like it. Deal with it boys, this is what the user wants. Its the future.
This is what the Whrrl about says:
Error 404 – Not Found
Not a pretty picture :)
$22.4 million and this is what these guys come up with? Meh.
KILL FARMVILLE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice idea – finally someone is trying to do some real social activities with social apps.
Only problem is that when you meet someone MG face-to-face the most social thing you want to do is break a beer mug over his face.
Points also allow you to level up in your societies for more special deals.
… just like farmville.
Hey man, how does it happen that you have a Czech version? :) …. Dobry den :)
does anyone use whrrl?
I used Whrrl 2. I dont understand Whrrl 3?
I don’t really get how this will kill Farmville, and it’s legions of 45 year old women bored at home or work. All these location games require too much “moving” for the average 45 year old.
It is pretty much the defining characteristic of a market economy that There Can Be More Than One™.
Whrrl provides a great case study into the fact that money can’t buy you a great product. Investors should’ve seen this coming Day 1 when they named their company – could they not have purchased a better domain name than whrrl.com? Every time I type in their domain name (once a year, when they roll out a revamped product), I have a hard time even finding them.
We just arrived in Austin this morning for SxSW only to get in an elevator and see Whrrl stickers plastered EVERYWHERE inside and outside the elevator. Very tacky. Makes me not want to use them at all.
yes please kill farmville