A (Facebook)friend of mine just invited me to join the group “I Hate The New Facebook.” I’m sorry buddy, but I can’t. Why? I DON’T hate it!! Actually, I do not understand why so many seem to detest the new design. I like it and am glad that they left the old, rather confusing let’s-cram-every-info-onto-one-page layout behind and changed it to a well organized site. But that’s just me…
I read on Valleywag.com that a high schooler named Nick Wagner founded the “hater” group and exhorts users to act, do something against the new design: “THE NEW FACEBOOK WILL PERMANENTLY BE THE ONLY FACEBOOK. THIS IS A PETITION TO STOP IT. PLZ JOIN AND INVITE. Will be changed in a COUPLE OF DAYS!!!”
A little silly, don’t you think? Especially, when you remember how Facebook users revolted against the News Feed when it came out. As far as I know that feature is rather popular now. Therefore, it is more than likely that Facebook will ignore this petition and push through with their plan. So, STOP whining, everybody – change can be a good thing! As soon as you’ll get used to it, you’ll love it.
Just in time for the weekend, I added the Love Bunnies application on Facebook - NO, it doesn’t have anything to do with Playboy! - and found out instantly, just how dirty-minded my colleagues really are… (@ Nils: thanx for naming your bunny Fiana!)
When I read Regina Lynn’s blog announcing Love Bunnies – “the world’s first personalised Facebook sex toy!” yesterday, I have to admit I was intrigued – for work reasons of course. After all, it is a great example for innovative, sophisticated social media marketing.
LoveHoney.co.uk is a British online shop for “Sexy and Secure Adult Shopping” that made use of the social network Facebook to launch their latest product: The Love Bunny. But what exactly is a Love Bunny? To the point: it is a toy for adults made out of silicon – does that ring any bells? Facebook users can add the Love Bunnies application, adopt one of these cute little (rubber)rabbits, name it and start flirting with other Bunnies in a candy cotton world. Furthermore, if you have fallen deeply in love with your Bunny, you can order your very own silicon-Bunny (including a unique birth certificate) and get it delivered to your doorstep.
LoveHoney tells you how it’s done:
How to get a personalised Love Bunny Facebook sex toy
1 Log in to your Facebook account
2 Install the free Love Bunnies Facebook Application
3 Create and name your own Facebook Love Bunny - flirt with other Bunnies and have fun
4 Follow the link on Facebook to buy your unique personalised Love Bunny vibrator for real!
The Love Bunnies Facebook Application
Choose a colour for your Love Bunny, give your Bunny a name and you’re ready to play! You can move your Love Bunny around the Facebook Bunny World Warren, change your Bunny’s mood to show how you’re feeling, and send flirty messages to other Love Bunnies. At any time you can click to buy your Love Bunny vibrator for real.
Buy Your Personalised Love Bunny Vibrator
Your unique Love Bunny is delivered direct to your door in a presentation rabbit hutch box, complete with its unique Bunny birth certificate.
But, it doesn’t stop there. Marketers at LoveHoney seem to know how to work the web 2.0 world – the onlineshop has its own YouTube channel, where new products are presented and introduced in a rather “charming” way, among them, of course, the Love Bunnies:
After “playing” Love Bunnies with a few colleagues, I can tell you that it is worth it to add this application and have a little fun with your friends. We definitely do! Going from 1st to 2nd and 3rd bunny base with one of my colleagues, caused quite a stir at the office today with all the winking, rubbing, undressing and licking… And now, after pushing each others buttons, we are on our Bunnymoon! We’ll both be back soon, maybe with a surprise or two from our trip…
Concluding, LoveHoney has found a way to advertise a hard to solicit product through innovative social media marketing. Evidently, people talk about it! Let’s hope that other marketers get with the program and throw more of such campaigns at us in the future.
Today, Hitwise Intelligence analysts published the Top 20 Web 2.0 services in the US. The total number of hits on web 2.0 services by US users in July 2008 served as database. (via Inquisitr):
I tried out the “new” Facebook and just want to say: FINALLY and thank you! Most of the things I did not like about facebook.com have been altered so that the flood of “TMI” crammed onto one page does no longer overwhelm my friends – or me for that matter. What has been the “profile” is now divided into different sections or tabs (e.g. wall, info, boxes) and can be arranged as you like it – move, add and remove boxes, tabs and applications and edit them instantly. The layout, of course, has also been improved and distributes to the formerly unknown “clarity” of this social network.
Not everything is new but certainly better! See for yourself:
