The concepts of social media and data are inextricably linked — or at least that’s what we thought. From Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal years ago to the ongoing controversy involving the hyper-popular platform TikTok, it seems like users of these platforms are constantly having their data collected and being monitored by digital watchdogs.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way? With platforms like Bonder leading the way, there is a future in sight where this troubling data collection can be a thing of the past.
Bonder is a revolutionary communication platform that seeks to redefine traditional social, communication, and community-building spaces for good. Billed as the “first location-based communication platform,” by its founder and CEO, Scott Swanson, Bonder is a tool designed to help centralize the masses and help people move beyond forming digital acquaintanceships to creating legitimate connections and communities.
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How Bonder is revolutionizing communication platforms
Bonder’s unique model serves as an important reminder of the power of connection. Too many users’ experiences with leading social platforms make them feel like little more than a data point. Bonder is designed to both embrace and transcend the virtual realm, giving users the ability to take greater control of their virtual space while also creating stronger connections and adding value to their real world.
When a consumer is reduced to data for the sheer sake of advertising, the user experience suffers — often to the point that they cease using the app altogether. Studies have shown that people are growing tired of paid advertising, and many have even grown distrustful of it. Another 68% of consumers also reported being “concerned” or “very concerned” about their digital privacy. From these statistics, it’s clear that the best way for a business to connect with a consumer is not by advertising, but rather by providing them with legitimate value.
This is where Bonder thrives as an app that is designed to provide a space where users can create their own personal and professional circles without surveillance, advertising, or data collection. With Bonder, users can participate in meaningful human interactions, immersive retail experiences, professional networking, and community and business building — all through the convenience of one app.
Indeed, this centralization is one of Bonder’s critical value offerings. “Nowadays, there’s an app or platform for every little thing anyone could want to do, but that fuels the creation of so many small niche platforms that it’s become overwhelming,” Swanson said in a press release. “Each app or platform has its one purpose that its users are there for, but it ultimately backs them into a corner in how their user base can grow and help the platform grow.”
Value for consumers and retailers alike
Swanson and the team at Bonder posit their creation as a “peoples’ platform” where users have the opportunity to build and foster meaningful communities through their digital and physical networks while avoiding the fragmentation that comes with niche social media platforms. “Bonder allows people to become masters of their universe without having an actual superpower,” Swanson asserts. “Unless that superpower is the ultimate connectivity between humans and technology.”
For retailers, the value Bonder brings comes not from the data they glean from users but from the “VIP connection” they can form with their potential customers. Since consumers have greater control over whom they connect with on Bonder, the connections they form through the app are more effective and meaningful. For example, a user can use Bonder to express their interest in a new appliance, and when they walk into the store, the salesperson can greet them with a more personalized experience. This entire process is kicked off by the consumer opting in and expressing their interest, not their data being collected.
“Our vision is to be the Rolls-Royce of communication platforms and masters of delivering what someone needs, exactly when they need it most,” Swanson affirmed in a recent interview for Disrupt Magazine.
With the team behind Bonder, it’s no wonder that the social platform is destined to revolutionize the idea of connection. Swanson has nearly two decades of experience in digital infrastructure, helping some of the largest companies in the world achieve exponential growth. With Bonder, he also has support from some bonafide industry pioneers, including Ryan Records, the former VP for Global Starbucks Card and Payment Strategy, who sits on Bonder’s board of directors.
Bonder is at the forefront of a revolution in communication. By offering a platform driven not by data and advertising but by legitimate connection, the app is poised to create a future where consumers can more effectively connect with one another and retailers to bridge the gap between the real world and the digital one.
