Marketing Mash-Ups
Social networking is probably the biggest thing going on online right now. According to a recent survey by UK communications regulator, Ofcom, more than half of the UK’s 16-24 year olds visit MySpace or Bebo at least once a week – choosing online communities in favour of television, radio and newspapers.
While young people spend a lot of money (MarketResearch.com, estimates $500 billion is spent by 13-30s in the US every year) they’re usually dead keen to make some too.
Enter a brand new concept that I’m calling the Marketing Mash-Up. The idea is to enable social networkers to sell their creative ingenuity online.
It could be the integration of a PayPal payment to allow a download of your home video. Or it could be a full blown Mash-Up with a manufacturer that lets you create bespoke products online.
Anyone creating their own trainers at Nikeid.com usually buys a pair for themselves. But why wouldn’t they drop the same specification on their MySpace page and let friends buy the same design? Nike would build, fulfil and pay commission on every pair sold.
True, the originator’s personal brand might dilute Nike’s but if it proved more effective in their social network, who cares?
What if the social networking site belonged to a celebrity? Gisele Bundchen has made gazillions from selling sandals, why can’t Kate Moss sell her own flavour of trainers? Or in her case, perhaps cigarettes…