Kids nowadays are easily influenced by all sorts of media that they are exposed to and it’s becoming difficult for parents to keep a tab on their kids’ online activities. Worldoo.com is one such online destination where parents can breathe easy as they have complete monitoring rights of their young one’s activities.
“Our core objective is to ensure that when a child initiates his journey into the world of internet, there is a space solely dedicated for kids where their preferences are balanced with the need of a parent, which is safety and filtration of content,” informs Worldoo.com COO Mihir Shah.
Since its launch, Worldoo.com has had an overwhelming response with close to 100,000 kids between ages 6-9 years as registered users. With a passion for new challenges and constant innovation, the team has now channelised its energy in furthering the cause of responsible internet.
“We initially launched a Beta version in April 2013 and then progressed to the 1.0 version in April 2014. We are currently working on the relaunch of Worldoo as a 2.0 version and have been offline since November 2014,” he adds.
Having already survived the test of times along with being lauded for its novel initiative of creating an engaging and interactive platform for kids online, what is it that version 2.0 will bring to the table? “Well, we are working on creating a fresh bank of content after taking feedback from our valued user base that is inclusive of both kids and their parents. Not just that but we are also creating a diverse and unique offering for kids called as ‘landmarks’, which include activities like: shopping, gaming, zoo, communities, academy, holiday, among others,” reveals Mihir.
There is a core team of 10 members who are ably supported by other 20-25 members that are currently working hard to get the version 2.0 up and running. The site, in the recent past, has also managed to get support from a certain gentleman called Amitabh Bachchan.
“The internet space is constantly evolving and has proved to be an exciting tool of communication. Today, children are born with technology in the palm of their hands, immediately preferring tablets to teddy bears! In such a scenario, it is important for parents to embrace the role that Internet plays in their child’s life instead of shying away from it. They need to collaborate and communicate with their kids to welcome them to the online world. The future is here. And in the same way that schools are an integral part of a child’s growth, the Internet will play a significant role in developing our next generation of children. The worldoo.com Let’s Build campaign is a great gift for the children of India, and I am glad to be a part of this initiative that aims to create a meaningful online environment for kids. Associating with the Worldoo.com team enables me to be a part of this great experience in pioneering the concept of responsible Internet for children,” said Amitabh Bachchan in an earlier statement, when the feedback campaign gathered momentum in the early part of this year.
Subsequent to closing 1.0, the team ran a national feedback campaign to ask everyone what they wanted from Worldoo.com. “We asked ourselves whether 10 suit clad men in a business room really decide what kids want on the website,” says Mihir. “We took feedback from the website and also carried out a school contact program to really understand the needs of the kids, parents and teachers alike. And not just this we have also formed a small committee of parents and teachers to help us find the right balance between our three key values – learn, express and play.”
Being an online platform, it must be difficult to sustain unless there is a foolproof business model. So how has Worldoo.com managed to stay profitable? “We always knew that it was a difficult decision, but have found ways to stay profitable. We have strong brands believing in us and also carrying out integrated campaigns to benefit kids. We have had brands like Asian Paints and Pidilite supporting us.”
In version 2.0, the company is experimenting with a paid subscription model and is clearly against the ad driven model that other online platforms resort to.“It’s a conscious call as we truly believe in the safety of kids and also want to stick to our promise of being a responsible platform that doesn’t encourage any harmful activities for young influential minds,” expounds Mihir.
