Forget Flash Mobs, it is Cash Mobs that will save the economy

Remember Flash Mobs, the post-Situationist ‘situations’ where interested people were mobilised over email and social networks to create an absurd happening?

In their day when there was more money about and everybody had time to have fun they had their place, but in the post-recession reality of 2012 they look like whimsies.

So welcome to Cash Mobs, a more useful form of crowd wisdom and one that is likely to have a positive effect not just on commerce, but on local commerce and local shops.

Reiterating instances from across the Millpond in the US, Cash Mobbers allows retailers (or people who love certain venues) to use their Facebook and Twitter accounts to set up a Cash Mob on a certain day.

Stats from the US confirm that shops more than double their daily turnover after such events. The inaugural event in the UK launches on Thursday at Pages of Hackney an independent book shop in East London on the way to the Olympic Park.

This is a great idea and one we wholeheartedly support. Forget about that Olympic bus that takes you past all of the East End’s fantastic shops, pop down there at 1pm on Thursday, 9th August…see you there.

Monty (709 Posts)

Monty Munford has more than 15 years' experience in mobile, digital media, web and journalism. He is the founder of Mob76, a company that helps tech companies raise money and exit. He speaks regularly at global media events with a focus on Africa, writes a weekly column for The Telegraph, is a regular contributor to The Economist, Wired, Mashable and speaks regularly on the BBC World Service.