Working in SoHo has it’s obvious advantages, one of them is bumping into new and interesting people. Dominic Tillson is the man from bebo and conveniently his office is just around the corner from Knitware.
We invited him round for a cup of tea and a chat about the phenomenon that is … the Social Network.
Doc: Can you explain what bebo and social networks are all about (in simple terms)?
Dominic: Think of it a bit like an extension of a teenagers bedroom. You can chat with friends, share photo’s, music, join groups … even customise it to reflect your personality. It’s really simple and intuitive to use, so you don’t need to be a computer genius and in one way making it your bebo is a big part of the fun.
People who don’t really get the whole Internet thing often think that computers are a solo pastime … but bebo and social networks are completely the opposite of that. It’s all about getting together with friends and people who think the same way as you and sharing experiences.
Doc: So where do brands come in?
Dominic: On a simple level brands can just create their own profile for existing bebo users to interact with. Customising your profile or ’skinning’ is very popular, so many brands also provide free ’skins’ for users to download and use.
On a more advanced level, providing content to watch and listen to is very popular. Everything from pop videos to mini tv shows is avaialble and in many cases it can only be seen on bebo. This content has been proven to to be extremely popular with our users generating significant buzz and interest in the brands involved.
At the end of this chat I’ll list some of the current and ‘coming soon’ content that you can find at bebo.
Doc: Is bebo the only option?
Dominic: No, there are a number social networks you can look at. The big three are probably bebo, Facebook and Myspace.
There are several basic differences between the sites … layout and design, content but mainly the age group that uses them. bebo is very much aimed at the teenager to early twenties end of things.
Doc: So how about a scoop, what knd of things can we see at bebo?
Dominic: Sofia’s diary goes from strength to strength and things are getting interesting for the Gap Year contestants. With integrations ranging from Trident Gum messing with the Uk contestants’ head, to Sofia meeting Julia Roberts’ niece Emma (who plays the lead character in the universal films Summer hit “Wild Child” ) there are lots of ways that brands are getting involved…
The next big things for us are the Secret world of Sam King, A Message from Earth and Meet the Freshers:
SWSK focuses on Sam - the post boy at Universal music who bends the rules and sets up his own record label in the stationary cupboard at work. Featuring cameos from Universal repertoire such as Girls Aloud and the Kaiser chiefs, it’ll be a behind the scenes look at the record industry and a chance for Beboers to find the next big act.
AMFE is the Blue Peter time capsule for the Web 2.0 generation - a chance for you to put forward your message from earth in a digital broadcast that’s out of this world. Users will be able to put forward their message to the community that best represents their views on modern UK culture. The community votes for the best ones, they’re then digitised and projected 20 light years away to the nearest planet that can support human life. In association with the Ukrainian space agency it’ll provide a regular snapshot of the Beboers perception of culture - its good and bad points, whilst getting them to reflect on what things will be like in 20 years time when the messages get picked up.
‘Meet the Freshers’ delves into the transition of going to university and dishes the dirt on what really happens in the halls of residence, the anxieties of leaving home and most importantly, we meet the bad ass first years who tell us what Uni’s really all about.
Hosted by Tom Thurlow, a cult Beboer who started off hosting his own Hollyoaks on the Street fan site (Has since been paoched by E4 to host teh Big Brother on the streets show) is back, with his unique style that’ll get behind the scenes of what really goes on.
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