Facebook Campus Debuts as Platform for College Students

Facebook has launched Facebook Campus, a return to its genesis in chief executive Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard University dorm room. Students can be part of Facebook Campus by using their school email addresses to create profiles that will only be visible to other students at their college or university. The site will allow students to join groups, participate in classroom discussions and find school events. A Facebook spokeswoman said the new site will not have advertising and that the company has no plans to offer ads in the future. Continue reading Facebook Campus Debuts as Platform for College Students

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Social Marketing Success?

  • Fox’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” has implemented a two-prong viral campaign designed by creative firm Mekanism to raise the film’s profile.
  • To accomplish this, Mekanism released a series of real ape videos online (with the intent of going viral) and targeted a group of 50 social media ‘influencers’ to help build buzz.
  • The efforts have so far been successful, but impressing the influencers is more challenging than a traditional media buy. “You have to really convince these guys to want to carry out your message,” explains Jason Harris, president and executive producer at Mekanism.
  • Tommy Means, Mekanism’s founder and director, adds that current audiences don’t recommend films to their friends because they like a certain brand. “It’s because they like their friends,” explains Means. Online communities tend to look to influencers because they consider them their ‘friends.’ “Our job then becomes to impress and wow the influencers,” he says.
  • Is this part of a larger trend? Will studios need to turn to YouTube stars and movie bloggers to promote new projects?