Flip Launches MagicOS, a Self-Serve E-Commerce Operating System for Brands

Transparency among social media influencers can be hard to come by. While ​​80% of consumers say they have purchased products in direct response to social media content, #sponcon scandals are taking their toll and leading to a decline in trust of digital influencers. Could a new e-commerce operating system for brands put the influencer industry on a different trajectory?

Flip is a California-based social commerce platform looking to restore trust in social media and online reviews by giving consumers a way to discover products shared by authenticated shoppers. Flip uses its own technology to link user video reviews to confirmed purchases. The company has partnered with global brands like ELF, Essence, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, but relies primarily on shoppable video reviews posted in the Flip mobile app to generate shoppable content.

Now the company is launching MagicOS, an end-to-end, self-service e-commerce operating system for brands that want to launch digital campaigns and connect with consumers. 

With MagicOS, shoppers will be able to watch short form videos on the Flip app using the same platform as their favorite brands. When they spot items they like and want to buy, shoppers will be able to complete their purchases with a one-click checkout and receive free next-day shipping and returns — all without leaving the app for any third-party websites.

“Brands have spent considerable amounts of time and money in building out their e-commerce presence, connecting to a shoppable social experience where shoppers come to discover and purchase shouldn’t take months and large budgets,” says Flip founder and CEO Noor Agha. “MagicOS allows brands to self onboard to Flip in under an hour. They get a powerful e-commerce infrastructure they expect from best-in-class commerce platforms, while getting access to a community of shoppers … They get marketing tools to reach new customers and drive sales, they get insights about what customers are saying about their products, they get a platform to engage with them.”

Although the Flip mobile app currently averages 35 million monthly video views, the company will need to scale to truly compete against the likes of TikTok and Instagram. In launching MagicOS, Flip is hoping to onboard new brands across a broader range of retail categories, including lifestyle, wellness and nutrition, electronics, fitness, and home goods.

Brands using MagicOS will have access to a sales dashboard, as well as inventory and PO management, content analysis and tracking, and ads performance management tools. Agha says MagicOS has everything a retail brand needs, regardless of their vertical or niche.

“MagicOS seeds products to shoppers which generates authentic feedback right away in the form of video reviews. These reviews are presented to shoppers through a personalized feed for every shopper,” Agha says. “Brands get insights on content performance combined with Flip’s data, which they can use to inform their marketing spend on Flip to reach more shoppers and drive sales.”

Agha sees Flip’s one-click payment experience as a major draw for consumers, and also a key factor that differentiates Flip’s app from competitors. Flip’s other differentiating factor is authenticity. Agha says brands are never allowed to incentivize creators for reviews on Flip, and that’s a big difference between Flip and other social media apps.

“Trust has been broken, because consumers can’t rely on reviews and influencers as truthful and unbiased sources of information when making purchase decisions,” says Agha. “Brands rely on influencers to reach their target audience and drive awareness of their product, but they do so by highlighting the positives and hiding the negatives about the product. Every product can’t be the best ever and for everyone.”

The launch of MagicOS follows Flip’s recent $60 million round of Series B funding, led by WestCap. Flip has also hired Meta’s Hao Ma as vice president of AI and data science, and brought in Kapil Mokhat, former head of commerce at Venmo, as president.

“By providing real people — not influencers — with the tools to advocate for their favorite products, brands on Flip can restore the joy and personal connection that used to be hallmarks of the shopping experience,” Agha says. “This approach is built on a foundation of trust, enthusiasm and charisma, allowing the best products to rise to the top in a fair competition.”