Xcel Brands CEO Bob D’Loren and denim label founder Faisal Ahmed have joined forces to create ORME, a social commerce app that aims to bring fun and excitement to the shopping experience. The app features TikTok-style videos in a shoppable marketplace, allowing all consumers the opportunity to become paid influencers and maximize a brand’s influencer marketing investment.
After discussing the challenges of ecommerce and the lack of return on ad spend in 2021, D’Loren and Ahmed decided to launch ORME as a solution to these issues. Drawing inspiration from the success of shoppable short-form video content in Asia, the two men saw an opportunity to revolutionize the shopping experience. With ORME, they aim to democratize the influencer ecosystem and provide a platform for everyday people to earn cash rewards for creating and sharing content.
ORME is designed to be highly engaging, taking inspiration from the popularity of TikTok and short-form video content. D’Loren believes that the app has the potential to change the way people view shopping and make it more interactive and rewarding. By allowing users to create and share content, ORME creates an economic flywheel in the retail world, providing opportunities for both content creators and everyday shoppers to participate in the platform.
By bringing brands’ content onto ORME, the cofounders hope to provide a platform for brands to emphasize and monetize their content. With a focus on beauty, fashion, wellness, and home categories, ORME has onboarded seven brands to date and is being selective in choosing brand partners. Opening a shop on ORME is easy, with vendors able to create a digital store with curated content and share it with their audience.
ORME uses Stripe as its online payment gateway, allowing for immediate payment to vendors at the time of checkout. This revenue-sharing model provides an opportunity for the entire user base to drive sales, rather than relying on a few influencers. By providing a platform for brands to monetize their content and for users to earn cash rewards, ORME aims to revolutionize the shopping experience and create a more engaging and rewarding environment for all participants.
