An adman’s dream

Facebook has introduced a number of innovative features. One allows companies to have spaces on the site just like individuals. Coca Cola has signed up with a Sprite page. When someone plays, the information is passed on to his/her ‘friends’through news feed alerts, so everyone gets to know about it. In addition, Facebook users can add reviews or comments about the brand pages, which are then also communicated immediately to friends. So the advertizing becomes user-generated rather than company-generated. Companies are even using social networking sites to elicit ideas and recommendations for new products or features. This is what James Bellini calls the “people-driven innovatory cycle.”

Facebook now also allows outsiders to write programs for the site and pocket the advertizing revenue they might generate. It has also introduced mini-feeds, which keep users updated on what their friends are doing. If someone buys a cinema ticket online, the information is transferred to the friends, who might want to see the same film. The same is true of other purchases. That keeps the people coming back to the site to get the latest updates.

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