Neoco

This week was the launch of the new improved MeasuredUp site. MeasuredUp is a consumer review platform, where users can critique companies from big corporations like Wal-Mart to much smaller businesses like local travel outlets or restaurants. The range of subject matter varies greatly – covering everything from ad agencies to Web services to medical establishments to political figures (guess who was in the limelight this week? Hint: his first name is Steam, and his last is roller).

At its current state, MeasuredUp certainly isn’t the best-looking site on the Web – although we’ve seen much worse! It seems to have an external flavor that connotes a basic database devoid of any cool new-age assets. On the right, there is a list of featured companies, followed by a search field and a directory of around 20+ categories. On the left, there is a list of recent customer reviews in snippet form. Other information is also found on the front page, though some is secondary in importance. On the whole, it is really just the supply of reviews and the attention given to these by users that makes MeasuredUp what it is.

Another point about MeasuredUp that has been made, is that it seems to be trying to do something that might not be possible. Without going into extensive detail, MeasuredUp can be summarized as an attempt to bridge the gap between consumers and companies. Which is, ideally, an honorable thing. But do consumers really want to sort out their grievances with companies via some neutral halfway house? Surely they just want to not have to deal with those grievances to begin with. And when they do come across issues of concern, they either consult an earpiece of significant repute, like Consumer Affairs or Consumer Reports, or suggest a more guerilla campaign against a corporate body through sites like Consumerist.com. After all, those tactics have proven reasonably effective.

However, we don’t think that MeasuredUp is useless. With the right amount of public promotion and critical mass, it may well turn out to be a force for good; an effective mediator to bridge the company-consumer divide. But even with the press given the domain by names like Time Magazine and TimeOut New York, MeasuredUp is likely to face numerous hurdles as it tries to grow.

Tags  companies consumer critiques launch marketing MeasuredUp reviews site Walmart