Blake Griffin's startup: 12society
12society.comA couple thoughts:
This is a neat idea, I think the price is right, but:
Are there categories of "stuff" that I can reject? What if i am not ever interested in cologne picked by these guys.
I do NOT think they should be including things like gift cards. I am paying you $40 per month for these guys to pick great stuff and a best buy gift card is on there? WTF. Unless that gift card is worth more than my $40 bucks - thats a hassle to convert my subscription fee to a gift card that I then have to spend time and energy converting into stuff, without the ability to convert it back to cash! Thats retarded. (I have a $100 best buy gift card in my wallet I have had for 8 months because I cant think of anything to spend it on that I absolutely need and that is <$100)
Aside from these guys having a ton of money, what am I getting by subscribing to receiving their picks, they have money - most are young, what sort of taste do they have? Am I not just subscribing to a selection of stuff picked by an army of assistants and paying some % premium to have these guys celebrity tied to the service?
How much time are they spending actually evaluating this stuff? Do they get 5 minutes a week with the assistant to say "Tim, pick one pair of socks from these 5 pairs"
Or do they all get the stuff they pick and are using it and then say "yeah these are great socks!"
Otherwise, a hell of a twist on the idea of endorsements.
I totally agree with you. If I had to guess, I think it's going to be the way you described it — pick one of these socks from 5 pairs, great, Blake approved!
A celebrity's face always goes a long way.
These are helpful questions. Let’s address them one by one.
Question: Are there categories of "stuff" that I can reject?
Answer: While 12Society doesn’t allow for individual items to be returned or exchanged, we are highly focused on keeping subscribers satisfied and excited about the contents of each box. We do this in two ways: 1. Each box contains a wide variety of premium products. Our Style Board is intent on making the product selection in each box as unique and diverse as possible. While you may like a certain product more than another, every item is vetted and curated and the collection of products is carefully constructed. Each box is guaranteed to retail for $125+, as well, so even if you do prefer some products to others, the great value of the box as a whole makes it a great bargain regardless of individual preferences you have. 2. Every month, 12Society will learn more about your specific tastes and style preferences, and will begin to customize the box you receive accordingly. Through recurring Style Profile Questionnaires (new subscribers fill one out at sign up, for example) and requested feedback on every item a member receives, the 12Society team will soon customize the product offering in each box to match the preferences of each respective member. You may enjoy technology more than fashion, or identify more closely with either Blake Griffin or Nick Cannon, and we will use this developed knowledge to personalize your 12Society box.
In addition, if you are ever unsatisfied with a particular box, we take pride in our hassle-free return policy. No gimmicks or fine print - simply return the box in its entirety to our team and we will provide a full refund and even cover the return shipping.
Question: Will I receive gift-cards in the box?
Answer: 12Society is not a gift card company. The style board takes great pride in providing 12Society members with actual products that they themselves find joy in. That said, there may be an occasion where a gift card may provide for an increased level of customization or personal service, and may be worthwhile in those situations. Regardless, you can rest assured that you will never receive a product that doesn’t have significant monetary or pragmatic value.
Question: What am I getting by subscribing to receiving their picks?
Answer: The 12Society Style Board is comprised of some of the world’s preeminent athletes, musicians, and Hollywood stars. While some may be young, they unquestionably lead very unique lifestyles, and are all tastemakers and trendsetters within their respective verticals and professions. They will give you not just an inside look into items that they use and love on a day to day basis, but they will actually share that item with you so that you can experience it for yourself.
It is an innovative business model, and helps eliminate some of the barriers that separate you from the athletes and artists you admire.
In regards to the quality of the products included in the box, as we mentioned earlier, each box is guaranteed to contain at least $125 of retail value. Our Co-Founders (Michael, Tim, Nasir, Blake, Kevin and Nick), are all extremely motivated and excited to create a platform through which they can connect and interact with their fans. They are entrepreneurs in the truest sense, and are the decision makers of the company. In terms of time spent "evaluating" and sourcing - these are products that the style board actually uses and enjoys, so there is not necessarily need to spend time evaluating different products as these are already items that our co-founders use.
Feel free to shoot any additional questions to info [at] 12society.com!
Great, thanks.
WRT the giftcards, I'd suggest you remove the best buy gift card from the example images on your site if I'll never receive a gift card, as this is where my question came from.
Also, in my review of the site, I missed the "guaranteed . value of $125" I'll take a look again, but that is an important piece of info that I totally missed in my review.