Swedish Count launches elite social network
One of the pioneering figures of
social media, the little known Swedish Count, Erik Wachtmesiter, is back to
launch his latest creation, Best of All
Worlds.
The new site, which is expected to
launch on the 27th August, will be highly exclusive and cater to the
more elite levels of society. Naturally the site is invite-only
at the moment, claiming around 25,000 members through the 5,000 invitations
Wachtmeister initially issued. It is expected to continue in this vain as the
network revolves around this exclusivity and seeks to unite the wealthy
community pinpointed by Wachtmeister, providing a service that can really
support their needs.
Speaking about the network,
Wachtmesiter has claimed that Best of All Worlds will “deliver clever filters,
cut through the mess and get information that’s relevant and we can trust”. The
‘About’ section of the site
continues this view by stating the purpose of the site to be; to ‘discover
people, common passions, and compelling information… in worlds of shared
interests and friends’. Subsequently, Best of All Worlds will most certainly
appeal to high-end marketers delivering such products as ‘yachts, watches, wine
and liquor’.
Another potential selling point of
the network is Wachtmeisters aim to allow users increased control over their
data. In a move which appears to try and draw people away from LinkedIn and
Facebook, Best of All Worlds offers the user ‘five
modes to switch between’. These modes are entitled private, professional,
family, social and party. After the user has picked their preferred mode, each
one then provides its own set of photos, links, recommendations and
suggestions. The idea is that this will enable like-minded people to connect in
a ‘trusted environment’ and be able to discuss what really interests them. The categories
of these discussions include ‘business, food and wine, health or a better world’,
but this is expected to soon expand.
A Small World
Back in 2004 Erik Wachtmesiter
launched his first social network A
Small World. Sharing many similarities with his latest creation, A Small
World is an ‘invitation-only website that catered to a wealthy crowd where
users could meet other world travellers, make business connections and find
services’. After selling a significant stake of the business in 2009 and quitting
his post, it seems Wachtmeister is fully focused on Best of All Worlds now. It appears
that the Count has picked and streamlined the most successful elements of A
Small World and can utilise the near 800,000 user base to promote his new
venture. Reports have viewed this as an attempt to ‘poach’ users and this was extended
when the two sites shared their mobile app launch on the 27th July.
According to Wachtmeister this was a “total coincidence”, but these events do
suggest the Count should be careful In the future.
The potential competition between the
two sites will be interesting to observe in the coming months and also whether
Best of All Worlds can tempt the so-called ‘jet-setters and well-heeled away
from Facebook Inc. and LinkedIn’. This should indicate whether the demand is
actually present among these elite groups.
Josh Bennett, Content Writer
@JoshAtSMF @SocialMediaF
Swedish Count launches elite social network
Reviewed by Mili and Paul
on
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Rating: