Plea for Social Privacy Falls on Deaf Ears

It would be understandable for the executive team at social network has-been MySpace to wonder what they did to garner such bad karma.

For starters, their strategy to position the community as a "social entertainment" site (rather than squaring off with Facebook) has been greeted by stagnant membership and declining site traffic.  Then earlier this month, the News Corporation property slashed nearly half of its workforce by shedding 500 employees.

And now comes the lawsuit.  No...not disgruntled former workers or spurned business partners.  This legal action was brought by a convicted sex offender challenging MySpace for their adherence to a warrant signed by the magistrate in Cherokee County, Georgia.

I encourage you to read this article in AdWeek for the specifics of the complaint.  My reaction is to encourage Cory Hubbard, the 34-year-old plaintiff, to focus his time in prison on how to eliminate his desire to prey upon underage girls. 

Image courtesy of Media Bistro

However, Hubbard's contention that MySpace violated federal Internet privacy and wiretapping laws raises an important question -- what expectation of privacy should we have as users when participating in social networks and online communities?

I believe the answer is none.  First off, I agree 100 percent with the Cherokee County District Attorney who compared user content uploaded to a social network to a diary author who willingly hands over their writings to a third-party, who then gives it to law enforcement.  There is no Fourth Amendment violation.

Moreover, it should be well understood by users that social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. are commercial ventures with business models focused on generating advertising revenue. 

As such, they track user activity, behavior and preferences to serve the needs of their customers -- the organizations that view online communities as a targeted promotional vehicle.

I recognize this big brother-ish monitoring may be unacceptable to some.  There's a simple solution.  Sign off Facebook and connect with your friends in an old-fashioned way.

The Big Mac Bandit

Tamien Bain has an interesting relationship with the “Golden Arches.”

Fifteen years ago he walked into a McDonald’s with gun in hand and robbed the place. That indiscretion landed him in prison for a dozen years.

Now Bain is back as one of the five finalists in a contest the restaurant chain is running in partnership with MySpace to create a new jingle for the 40th anniversary of the Big Mac. This is a wonderful story and a win for everyone involved.

For Bain, it’s a chance to showcase his musical talent to a large audience with the hope of jumpstarting a career. In fact, he has reportedly already hired a public relations adviser.
And for McDonald’s, this innovative and creative use of social media will now most likely produce an avalanche of additional media coverage.

Sure, there will be those that take shots at McDonald’s for allowing Bain’s participation in the contest. They’re off base. Bain served his time and now he has taken steps to be a productive member of society. I am rooting for him…and may even buy a Big Mac!


Finalist in McDonald’s/MySpace Jingle Contest is Former McDonald’s Armed Robber
TechCrunch
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/19/finalist-in-mcdonaldsmyspace-jingle-contest-is-former-mcdonalds-armed-robber/

Social Network Fragmentation

It’s clear that social networking on the Internet is following the same path as television entertainment.

You have the horizontal sites -- such as LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace -- which are like your broadcast TV stations (NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX). Although these sites have sub-groups and forums based on interest, they are designed to cater to a broader audience.

Fragmentation is occurring rapidly with vertical social networking sites that cater to the interests of specific niche audiences. These sites are just like niche programming on cable television.

The most recent social network entry is WePlay.com from Creative Artists Agency. Billed as a “Facebook for Young Athletes,” this site targets youth sport participants and their families.

Here’s a good story in the New York Times on the site and its big-name supporters, including the NBA’s Tony Parker and LeBron James, as well as MLB’s Derek Jeter.

Social Site's New Friends Are Athletes
By TIM ARANGO
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/technology/26caa.html?th&emc=th


Why the similar evolution of these distinct media? It’s simple…they are all advertising driven. And advertisers want to reach customers and prospects in the most targeted (and economical) way.

For public relations professionals, it’s critical that we tailor content to the specific needs of the social network or community we are seeking to engage. At Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) we refer to this as social network engagement.

Grab a Seat at this Roundtable

Social communities fall into two categories. There are the horizontal networks such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn which provide an excellent platform to stay connected with important contacts, network and share information.

In fact, Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) recently introduced a fan page on Facebook for current staffers, alumni of the agency, prospective employees and other contacts. We plan on sharing much of the professional development content we develop with this important network via Facebook. Check it out at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Spring-MD/Strategic-Communications-Group/11060295377

The second type of social community is more vertically oriented networks that cater to professionals in a specific industry or a specific discipline. I am an active participate in a number of these vertical communities comprised of marketing, corporate communications and PR professionals, including Gooruze, The Customer Collective and MyRagan.

I recently joined At the Roundtable, a social network aligned with trade magazine Brandweek. So far...so good. The membership is high-quality, and the content produced via blog posts, contributed articles, discussion boards, etc. is strong.

Here's a link in case you are interested in joining: http://attheroundtable.com/

MySpace's Competitive Strike

Brian Stelter's article in today's NY Times about MySpace is an excellent read. It overviews the company's product development initiatives, including:

• a mobile version of the site
• the ability to customize a profile based on audience (i.e. your co-workers will see a different version than your college buddies)
• industry promotion of MySpace TV
• creation of a separate incubator called Slingshot Labs

In addition to creating the perception of innovation, this article also serves as a competitive strike against Facebook and other social networks. They have to move from proactive to reactive, investing time and resources to counter MySpace's development and promotion.

Public relations is an effective way to go on the offensive, leveraging channels like the media, analysts and bloggers to deliver a strong message to competitors.

From MySpace to YourSpace
By BRIAN STELTER
A Web blockbuster is evolving to try to stay ahead of rivals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/technology/21myspace.html?th&emc=th

Yahoo's Fine Tuning

The NY Times published an interesting article this week about Yahoo's efforts to revamp their strategy in light of intense competitive threats from Google, Facebook and MySpace.

Trying to Fine Tune Yahoo
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/technology/14yahoo.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1200434697-f1BJfqK1jlu/X1Zv7RF4TQ

What I find interesting is that Yahoo has clearly lost the perception of leadership and momentum in the market. Yet they remain the most popular destination on the Internet for consumers.

"With 136 million people in the United States visiting its sites in November, Yahoo remains the most popular property on the Web, according to comScore, a company that tracks Internet traffic."

I see this as much as a public relations challenge for Yahoo, as it is a strategy, features and functionality issue. They need to be aggressive in explaining to the market how the site is evolving and then consistently demonstrate how they're making good on the promise.