Niche Groupon-like site Goodypass.com has secured the services of 12 UK celebrities (someone please name them, it’s a mystery to me). Each are are now tweeting out offers to their numerous Twitter followers. The site, headed up by TV presenter Kate Garraway, is understood to be in final discussions for a round of significant funding, but has seed money from investor Kite Ventures,
The new ‘flash offers’ startup offers members goods at cut down prices by working with celebrities to promote the offers. A pre-existing audience for those celebs is almost certain to push the offers out through social media.
For instance, Garraway herself joined Twitter on 15 June last year but already has over 38,000 followers. New’y signed @angela_griffin, TV actress, has 43,422. The site will also win brownie points with the public by donating 5% of all profits to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for kids.
The 12 celebrities are Alison Hammond (This Morning), Actress and Loose Women star Lynda Bellingham, Celebrity Chef Aldo Zilli, England Rugby player James Haskell, Capital Radio DJ Dave Berry, author and kids’ food expert Annabel Karmel, Actresses Gemma Atkinson and Lisa Faulkner, TV presenter Clare Nasir and Dancing on Ice finalist Laura Hamilton.
Kate Garraway said, “I’ve always felt I was lucky to be offered discounts just because I’m on the TV. With goodypass.com celebrities can use their power and influence to secure great deals for everyone.”
Of course, the offers are not quite the usual one celebs get. Som 70% off your local hairdressers is great but not the celeb treatment one might hanker after. Then again, using celebs to promote offers to a mainstream audience is still a smart move.