Klout, I pronounce you Gilty

Buzztime for Gilt and Klout?

That's 3 hype words in one 5 word sentence, so let me rephrase it: online fashion retailer Gilt proposes discounts depending on the Klout score of its members.

Klout calculates individual influence scores (from 0 to 100) by aggregating behavioral data from various social networking services (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn...), and other partners. The concept rewards people who boast about how they fare on Klout, and actually monetizes social networking behaviors by offering 'perks' to the guys who behave well with selected partners.


That's were Gilt jumps in. For this member-only service based on flash sales, buzz plays a key role. Their glossy website looks quite different from the more sober Klout.com, but basically that's the same ego flattering concept: you're smarter than the rest of the crowd, you belong to a special breed of shoppers/influencers. A partnership with Klout makes sense to recruit new members as well as to ensure high turnouts for each sale...

Not to mention, of course, a more lucrative IPO.

mot-bile 2012

* see "Gilt Groupe, Inc. and Klout Partner to Offer First-of-its-Kind Reward to Users"