MePlugA search engine for your friends

recommendations

Overview

MePlug was founded by two friends who met whilst consulting for a client on a successful project over the last 9 months

MePlug is a online service that allows you to share recommendations and to find relevant recommendations from your friends

Our vision: to become the most popular way for friends to share recommendations online

The problem We wanted to find a reliable, trustworthy

tradesman…

What we needed was a reliable, trustworthy recommendation - a search engine and repository for everything your friends like, rate, and recommend

There is a vast choice of online recommendation sites for consumers, but none:

Consider how much you value each friend

Provide a simple way to get recommendations based on those relationships

Solution: MePlug

MePlug is…

A search engine and repository for everything your friends like, rate, and recommend

Allows user input to create more valuable and accurate recommendations

Learns about its user base to suggest recommendations

How it works1. User tells us their top friends and how highly they

rate those friends across various predefined categories

2. The user and her friends recommend products and services on their phone or web applications

3. Recommendations from friends have a greater bearing on results depending on ranking and input frequency

4. Users with a public profile making highly ranked relevant recommendations are considered experts

5. Search for that advice - receive credible recommendations!

How it evolved Bluetooth technology used to share

recommendations allowing users to access this information via a search engine

The idea was presented to friends who loved it but location enabled mobile phones and bluetooth technology has significantly increased the potential of the idea

Come 2011 – the influence of social networks and location enabled mobile devices has created a cultural and technological shift that allows MePlug to work in its element.

MePlug QR Code

For location based dining and services

1. Users scan the QR Code

2. Recommendation box appears

3. Tie in location

4. User submits the recommendation

What sets us apart? MePlug can:

Differentiate between the value of one friends advice over another – do you value friends opinions equally?

Utilize your friends’ friends, or local experts experiences

Tie in offers with recommendations - incentivize me!

Make it fun!

Competitors are: Yelp, GetGlue, Hipster, Blekko, and Domo

Why it will work Users are more likely to consume if they have a

relevant recommendation from someone they trust

Information is gold to business success, a way to monitor service satisfaction and conduct market research

Businesses are keen for customers to recommend their product and services – it is the most credible form of marketing

Businesses are willing to pay for this (pay for what?)

Word of mouth spreads rapidly online

Attractive because its free

Revenue stream Advertised recommendations – when personal

recommendation sources are exhausted

Affiliate marketing

Analytics and market research revenue

Keyword auctions

Advertising space

Implementation

1. Launch as a Facebook application through an ‘invite only’ beta to get a fast user uptake and feedback.

2. Launch the website and iPhone app two months later through an ‘invite only’ beta

3. Launch the website to the public

4. Release a public API

Lessons learnt will be reviewed after each stage of implementation

The team Leon Johnson

28, Management consultant, started own Management consulting company at 24

Cocoa and Python programming skills

Skilled graphic designer

Kenneth Kwok

Actuary and mathematics graduate

Market research skills developed as an equity analyst

What we need

Advice and financial backing for development and marketing

Relevant contacts to promote this product