Community: The Waze of the Future

I am a terror when driving. Just ask anyone who knows me. Needless to say, the last thing I need is something to distract me while behind the wheel. I’m sorry to admit that for the last year, I found one: (an unhealthy obsession with the mobile application) Waze.

Setting Waze apart from other GPS programs are its community-based features (and its astounding $1.3 billion sale to Google in 2013):

? Users report map, traffic, construction, accident and police instances, (in real time) which are then transmitted to the community-at-large and groups they’ve joined
? For all reports (and confirmation of reports), users earn points to compete with other members to achieve the next status “level”
? The ability for users to choose avatars on both their end and how others view them
? Map editors adjust and confirm map issues (and unlock additional avatars)

But let’s step back a moment to look at the progression of the community enhancements to utilitarian new media tools and where it is heading.

When was the last time you picked up a Thomas Guide to get directions or a Zagat Guide to get restaurant reviews/prices? I’m predicting the answer is sometime last century. Obviously OTT and mobile devices have essentially made them obsolete, not solely because of the ease-of-use, but rather via value-added propositions.
The first signs of this trend occurred with the birth of mass social media. Friendster effectively allowed people to connect with old/new friends, but Myspace took the format a step further by introducing customization tools such as individual formatting and the ability to upload one’s photos, music and videos. Myspace lost its genuineness with its sale to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, allowing the more user-friendly and younger-skewing Facebook to wipe out the competition. The success of Myspace and then Facebook derived from the capacity to improve upon Friendster’s model by adding personal expression in conjunction with multimedia.

One of the key survival factors in the crowded online/mobile app industry is authenticity. Sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor and Waze have thrived because of the recognition that millennial customers are looking for peer commentary instead of elitist reviews. With the popularity of social media, these sites made it possible connect with friends via Facebook integration. By expanding the scope of Facebook users’ community as well as building their own organic counterparts, the aforementioned sites led the way digital product innovation.

Community-enhancement integration peaked in the recent past (when electronics brands have “user” reviews on their sites, who doesn’t?). For other mavericks looking for the next conglomerate buyout, they must create another opportunity to amalgamate community: one that hopefully doesn’t act as an accomplice while I’m on the road.