Andrea Phiniefs

In the annual conference of Market Research Society 2009, Joseph Webb and Bob Burgoyne published a paper with the title: ‘You ‘ve got a friend: Measuring the Value of Brand friending on Social Networks. In this paper has been described the landscape and goes someway to uncover the rules of the motivations behind successful friending and word of mouse. Friending campaigns are reliant on more variables than has been the case with more traditional forms of advertising. Whilst this may make measurement more difficult, it does not negate the possibility of doing so successfully. The study recommends a focus on the crucial enabling and empowerment processes as the first step towards the provision of key metrics in this new arena.

Social networks act as personal web pages which be linked to and viewed by friends. They allow people to undertake a range of activities including the exchange of messages, the uploading and accessing of photos, videos and music and the publishing of upcoming events. The success of a distributed computer network as a communication tool and a platform of community streches back even further than the internet itself with the creation of ARPNET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) in 1968. 

Many social networks are leading players in the online world; both Facebook and Myspace are in the top 10 most popular websites. The social web is being extended as initiatives such as Googel et al’s ‘Open Social’ program aim to link separate social networks together as well as with other forms of website allowing individuals to have a single online profile on any website they visit meaning all forms of website can build communities of these individuals should they wish to do so.