are fan pages/public profiles the new hot commodity?

Domain names (good ones, specifically) are running out. Unless you want to exceed the magic 5 or 6 character rule, choices are limited and resulting in somewhat oddly named sites such as snurl.com or uladoo.com. These names work fine for new start ups, but what about existing brands wishing to add their presence to the internet? Are they forced to adopt some cryptic, vaguely-related URL?

Enter: Facebook Fan Pages/Public Profiles. I've been thinking, writing and speaking about Public Profiles a lot lately. I feel that with Facebook's continued exponential growth, Public Profiles will only become a more dominant brand outlet. Additionally, with the shortage of search-friendly URL's entering crisis status, and domain prices shooting through the roof, utilization of Facebook's Public Profiles feature only makes sense. We've seen brands like Coca-Cola quietly assume control of fan-initiated pages, with some money almost undoubtedly changing hands in the process.

Now, lets take it one step beyond simply acquiring branded pages. What about more generic pages, such as Sleep or Cuddling? With each page totaling nearly 300,000 fans at the time of writing (and growing rapidly), these seemingly pointless pages offer a huge audience with a common interest.



Now, imagine Serta Mattress Co. quietly acquiring the "Sleep" page and using it as an extension of their branding efforts. Instantly, Serta would have an audience of 300,000 people all interested in what they are trying to sell--a good night's sleep. Same goes for "Cuddling". Imagine if any number of companies acquired this page. A few off the top of my head that could forseeably succesfully leverage the page to their advantage may be Cosmopolitan magazine, Trojan condoms (since we all know what cuddling inevitably leads to), or even a breath mint company like Certs.

I'm figuring that some are asking how having a page without the company name on it benefits the company in any form. As mentioned, it instantly gives the company a large targeted audience, instantly. People that like sleep are probably interested in tips on how to achieve the most restful night possible. Why not use a fan page as an outlet for tips on sleeping comfortably? Why not import the Serta corporate blog?

Keep fans updated with new information in mattress technology, or even post a status update reminding fans to flip their mattress once a month. Subtly insert the Serta name or logo here and there, and you have an enourmous as well as low-effort branding campaign. Serta could potentially become synonmous with a good night's sleep among 300,000+ people. The same could go for any number of seemingly generic and glib Public Profiles.

With Facebook being as large as it is, and Public Profiles being indexable for all major search engines, the potential for search traffic is also staggering. Imagine typing in "good night's sleep" and having the "Sleep" Public Profile appear in the top ten results, with all kinds of useful information, tips and have it attached to the Serta brand. Most brands pay thousands upon thousands to SEO analysts for this kind of exposure and ranking. Given Facebook's size and continued growth, its not unrealistic to think that a Public Profile could potentially make the top 5 Google results.

What this boils down to is a chance for huge and relatively inexpensive brand exposure to companies who may be struggling to actively engage customers. Print and television adverstising is in a sharp decline, in terms of effectiveness and relevance. Brands must explore new and diverse outlets to establish their image, and Public Profiles is nearly certain to be one of the biggest outlets in years to come.

microsoft's new ad campaign doesn't mention microsoft: brilliant.

Recently, Microsoft launched a new ad campaign aimed at promoting the value of a PC versus an Apple. Surprisingly, the ads actually make sense. In case you haven't noticed, Microsoft as of late has been steadily turning out one advertising fop-ah faux-pas after another.

Whether its the Mojave Experiment, a girl singing about Microsoft Songsmith (while on a thinly veiled Macbook) or the utterly bizarre Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld ad series, Microsoft's ads have been missing their target and only provided Apple enthusiasts with a good laugh.

Microsoft's latest ads represent a radical departure and an entire shift in focus for the company. The latest ads are not emphasising the "superiority" of Vista (or trying to convince consumers that "really--Vista isn't that bad!"), or even advertising Microsoft products. What customers are being sold instead is the value of the PC platform.

In the advertisement below, Lauren, a college student on a budget of $1,000 is sent into an Apple store to pick out a laptop. She wants a 17" screen, and finds that the only Apple that meets her requirements is the Macbook Pro, to the tune of $2,499. She leaves.





Frustrated, she observes that she is "not cool enough to be a Mac person", which is a jab Apple's elitist image. Lauren then shops a consumer electronics store, and of course falls in love with a 17" Hewlett Packard which she purchases and accessorizes for well under $1,000, leaving the store content and happy.

Windows, Microsoft or Vista is never mentioned through the course of the advertisement, which may seem a bit odd considering the the advertisement is in fact a Microsoft advertisement. I would wager it a brilliant move on Microsoft's part.The reality is that after series of questionable OS's plagued with security flaws and lampooned by critics, Windows is no longer a selling point.

After a resounding failure with Windows ME, a rough start with Windows XP (which I would argue only came into favor AFTER the release of Vista), and a total misfire with Windows Vista, Microsoft has come to the realization that they can no longer sell the operating system. Instead, Microsoft is selling the value of the machines that come preloaded with their software. Microsoft couldn't care less if you purchase a Dell, a Lenovo or an HP.

What it boils down to is Microsoft selling strengths instead of trying to patch up weaknesses. They are doing exactly what McDonald's did for Starbucks, and attacking a perceived image. In this case, instead of the elitist image of Starbucks, they are attacking the elitist image associated with Apple computers.


Will this campaign save Microsoft and Windows? Its hard to say. Honestly, with a 90% market share, they don't really need saving. What they do need is a shift in consumer perception of their product.

What the campaign will do, if nothing else, is cement the image of Apples as overpriced into consumer minds, which honestly may be more valuable to Microsoft at this point than actually selling copies of Vista. Perception is powerful, and leveraged properly can completely shift consumer thinking.

I've always been told its better to play to your strengths rather than trying to fix your weaknesses. I guess someone must have mentioned that to Microsoft too.