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.
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