There’s something unusual about The Merit Shop. Like any other online shop, it has an assortment of products that people can acquire, but what makes it interesting is how these items can be paid for.
Instead of trading goods for cash, The Merit Shop encourages people to pay for its merchandise with their talents. Items like cereal boxes, iPods, kilograms of rice and gloves can be paid for by creating a video of yourself "doing something awesome" on YouTube or Instagram. If the video is deemed awesome enough by The Merit Shop founders, the item is sent to that user on a first come, first serve basis.
In the shop, you can see what talents have previously been deemed worthy of a trade. For example, one user made a YouTube video of himself making a convincing bicycle horn sound to acquire a pair of sneakers from the site.
Talent-Bartering E-Shops
The Merit Shop Trades Its Items in Exchange for Videos of Unique Talents
Trend Themes
1. Talent-bartering - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating platforms that facilitate talent exchange as a form of payment.
2. Unique-talent Videos - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing platforms that reward users with goods based on the quality and creativity of their talent videos.
3. Merit Shop - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Establishing online marketplaces that encourage bartering and trade using non-traditional payment methods.
Industry Implications
1. E-commerce - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introducing novel payment systems that leverage user talents to purchase goods online.
2. Video Sharing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating video platforms that incentivize users to showcase and monetize their unique talents.
3. Retail - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implementing bartering mechanisms in traditional retail settings to enhance customer engagement and promote unique talent acquisition.