social media brand pages...what drives popularity?

AdAge recently published an article that outlined the top 10 pages on Facebook, measured by the number of fans that each site has. Barack Obama tops the list, which is not surprising after the massive presence that his campaign had all over the internet. But after Barack the list gets very interesting, and I would like to go through these top 5 Facebook pages and see what each has to offer and perhaps pinpoint what it is that is attracting so many people to form these monstrous online communities.

1.Barack Obama - with 5.9 million fans this page is by far the most populated and has undoubtedly taken off even further since his inauguration. The popularity of this page is definitely due to the personal feel that it has, especially considering it it the President of the United States who is typically considered to be in a social class all to himself - not to mention a 'social media class' to himself. Links to 'personal' blog entries and frequent posts definitely help to engage the audience.

2.Coca-Cola - this page was actually the focus of the AdAge article because of the fact that it did not originate as a legitimately branded page. Rather, it was started by two guys and for some reason became viral and took off with millions of fans. Coke (the real guys) has now become involved in maintaining the page, but they too don't really understand why this particular fan site has become so popular. One theory exists that the social networks of the page's founders were so expansive that it allowed it to take off quickly and in a wide manner (Malcom Gladwell would call these guys Connectors).

3.Nutella?! - the obvious first impression of this page is utter amazement. What could possibly drive such a huge number of people to follow such a basic and seemingly boring product? In looking at the official Facebook page I think it is simply the quirkiness and lifestyle feel of Nutella that has created this community, as well as the fact that it's been around forever (1940s). There are also discussions such as 'what is your favourite way to eat it' etc. that are great at invoking very basic conversation.

4.Pizza - this page kind of falls into the Nutella category, but is absolutely different in that it isn't associated with a brand. It is simply a forum for people to express their love of pizza. The mainstream availability and simplicity of the delicacy as we know it definitely comes into play, but there isn't really any brand community at work here.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo - moving back to brand (and sex appeal and professional appeal and 2.75 million screaming young girls). Ronnie's popularity is undeniable but the page itself is very appealing also. There is significant presence of video and photos, both of which are probably the best media to market a professional athlete. Although there is no feel of his personal touch, the quality of the content will draw people in, especially those who are looking for up to date news, etc.

A bit of a longer post...that's all for now.

more on twitter...companies using social media

To continue with my social media theme, I want to briefly explore some of the companies that are currently using Twitter as social and marketing medium.

The basis for this was my stumbling upon an ClickZ article on Agent Provocateur's (AP) entrance to the Twitter world, just in time for Valentine's Day. AP's strategy is similar to that of most companies in this realm - identify with the consumer in an environment that they are comfortable with and establish a consistant and relevant voice that represents the brand. With respect to AP, their Twitter account is just one aspect of their social media blitz. They have recently launced a company blog as well as a Facebook profile, the former being a forum that has delved into intimate topics such as consumers' sex lives.

brands that are also active on Twitter include Comcast and Home Depot. Another Twitter article (found here) documents the various reasons large companies are 'experimenting' with the site. "Some see Twitter as an extension of the marketing department; others view it as a customer service tool, and some say it's best for corporate communications."

All this Twitter talk seems to have me wondering what I'm missing out on...I know I said I was happy with Facebook, but I'm thinking I might start a Twitter account just to see what it's like.