Consmr, which launched Tuesday, ranks consumer-packaged goods based on reviews from consumers, bloggers and a couple of editorial publications. Ryan Charles, the founder of Consmr -- who previously held positions in mobile, interactive products and marketing at Zagat -- says although there’s no mobile Consmr app yet, he envisions consumers accessing the information in-store to make informed purchases.
A recent survey by consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail supports his vision. The report found that one-fifth of consumers research food and beverage purchases, nearly one-third research pet products and 39% look up information on baby products.
Charles has added a gamification layer in an attempt to make sure the page is loaded with information. The site offers Foursquare-like badges (called "Pieces of Flair" as seen in the movie Office Space) for amassing followers and submitting reviews.
The badges are also a form of advertising. Consumers who review or try certain products will get branded badges when they check in. The checkins appear on their Facebook and Twitter feeds. The site currently has two advertisers: Greek yogurt brand Chobani and beverage brand AriZona.
In addition, some reviewers like Dubba -- who writes the ice cream blog On Second Scoop -- are already known in the blogosphere. The site also includes product reviews from Rodale publications Men’s Health and Women’s Health.
Charles acknowledges that sites like Amazon also have some reviews of CPG products, but he says he feels in general the market is underserved. “The issue with consumer packaged goods is there’s some information online, but it’s fragmented,” Charles says. “They’ll have reviews of Fage, but none for Chobani. This is a way of tackling this.”
