7 reasons why MOO products are so popular

Who doesn’t love them? I believe there are at least seven reasons why MOO products have become so popular on the Web and outside of it.

Here they are:

1) Reinventing the wheel in a creative way

Let’s say it: business cards and note cards are nothing new to the world, but MOO had the ability to move a traditional business from the offline world to the Web without pain. I think MOO provides one of the best examples of how creativity can make a difference when it comes to reinvent the wheel and propose a traditional product in a new way.For example, we are all used to imagining business cards in a certain way, with specific dimensions, font types and colors.

This is how they mostly look like and the idea of crossing the line to create something different would have been unlikely until some time ago. Starting from the classic and “boring” business cards, MOO has created something completely new, appealing not only traditional customers but also to web bloggers and simple people who now consider MOO cards a cult product.

2) Partnership with social networking sites

By partnering with social networking sites such as Flickr, Bebo, Fotolog, LiveJournal, VOX, Habbo and SecondLife, MOO made a very effective move. Customers that have accounts on those web sites are highly facilitated when it comes to creating their MOO cards, since they can immediately utilize their existing photo sets, already uploaded to their preferred social networking site.

Social networks are the home-base of word of mouth marketing and a product like MOO cards would have never become so popular if it hadn’t been adopted by the users of social networks. I also believe that it is not a case that MOO launched two new products this year just right after having added support for Flickr and other new social network as the greatly expanded exposure provided business motivations to put the creative people at MOO back to work.

3) Great quality of the products and packaging

MOO is an example of the fact that purchasing something online can be a convenient experience both for the eyes and for your wallet too. The quality of the MOO cards is truly astounding and it is not easy to find anything like that in the “offline” world. Moreover, the way these products are carefully packaged gives them a sort of sacred appearance.

The packaging itself is made to stimulate the user’s curiosity since the very first eye contact and the accuracy of details makes the package look as precious and attractive as one could expect. This is a very important element which should never be forgotten, especially by companies that sell online and don’t have the possibility to showcase their products in the real world (and thus get immediate feedback from the customers): quality is a must.

4) Multiple personalization options

Today it is almost impossible to deliver a product online without letting its primary users participate to its creation. MOO pays a lot of attention to user-generated content and thus provides many customization options to its customers. Moreover, the fact that the customers can create their own card set according to their desires and without needing to be censored or approved by anyone makes them be more creative and, in many ways, more “daring”.

I have seen lots of amazing MiniCards and NoteCards which are really nothing but true mini-artworks: I frankly don’t think that this would have been possible if the creators had had to rely on their best graphic designer and the top typographer in town.

5) Respect for nature

All the MOO cards and their packages are produced with recyclable material. This is not a point to be missed and the guys at MOO know it very well: this is why they carefully report it on each package and on their website. And customers do seem to appreciate it.

6) Social events

The July 19th party organized to launch the StickerBooks demonstrated how social events can reinforce customers loyality and generate a stronger sense of community. When a company is based on the Web it is very important to keep it in touch with reality and to present your products to the world through your own staff and not through artificially created press campaigns only. Such occasions offer great opportunities for networking and for strengthening the bonds between passionate customers and the people inside the company.

7) User-friendly MOO website

Creating cards on the MOO site is a breeze. The interface has been specifically designed to allow also non-English speakers to easily upload and choose images, crop them and add text lines without making it a hassle. The interface is very user-friendly and offers many options to the customer without overwhelming her with too many details.

This is just an excerpt: the full article can be read on MasterNewMedia.

Photo credit: Rachel Barsness.