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What if Yelp and Instagram had a baby? Well, Ferret would be the result!

This project was created for a Junior Achievement Company Program Pitch, supported by Deloitte.

The task was to craft and present a product pitch in front of advisors from companies like Deloitte and Shopify, for the JA Company Program. Ferret eventually made it to the final round of pitching, where it placed 2nd!

problem

It's a huge struggle to find unique thigns to do when you're not a tourist— you can only seem to find big attractions that you've already been to a million times.

As someone who was born and raised in Toronto, I know this problem all too well. Every weekend I find myself scrolling through the same lists of things to do in Toronto,— CN Tower, the ROM, AGO, etc.— and I end up doing the same things over and over again.

This is a common issue faced by many residents of major cities, leading to a sense of monotony and lack of discovery in their own neighborhoods. However, there is a huge opportunity to reimagine how we explore our cities and find hidden gems that are often overlooked.

A large part of these hidden gems are small local businesses that struggle to market themselves in the vast tourism market. Ferret's here to fix that.

solution

Ferret seeks to address both sides of the problem: it helps residents discover unique local businesses and experiences, while also providing a platform for small businesses to market themselves to a wider audience.

key features

The main platform features a social media style layout, where users can share their experiences, discover hidden local gems, and engage with trusted reviews from their personal network.

Additionally, users are able to view reviews from their friends only, eliminating the risk of fake reviews.

extra features

Ferret enhances the user experience by seamlessly integrating saved locations into an in-app calendar, allowing users to effortlessly plan their day around their favourite spots. This calendar is fully shareable, making group planning intuitive and collaborative—friends can coordinate schedules, align plans, and build experiences together in just a few taps.

No idea? No problem. To further elevate the experience, Ferret AI can help you personalize your day. By using the app, Ferret AI learns your preferences through past activity and social connections, delivering tailored recommendations that align with your interests. From hidden local gems to trending spots, users can effortlessly plan the perfect outing without the stress of searching.

competitor analysis

Ferret is completely unique. It combines all the best aspects of social media and tourism apps, creating the perfect combination.

Furthermore, because our app is styled as a sort of social media, you are bound to discover the more unique things to do in Toronto, as on applications like Yelp, you tend to only find the more cliche things to do.

Furthermore, because our app is styled as a sort of social media, you are bound to discover the more unique things to do in Toronto, as on applications like Yelp, you tend to only find the more cliche things to do.

⚠️ Note: As of recent, it turns out that in 2022, an app called Corner was released, which is very similar to Ferret! Very cool so go check it out :)

revenue

Ferret will charge a one time fee for businesses to be on our app, roughly 20 dollars, after a short free trial. Businesses can also pay an additional fee to send push notifications to those who have favorited locations.

For users, Ferret will be mainly free, with a few subscription plans including premium discounts and early access to events. This free app will set Ferret apart from many tourism apps, since many paid features usually make or break the app.

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