REI Misses Social Networking Opportunity On MySpace.com

I was kicking around MySpace today looking for companies out there trying new things in the social network arena.


The North Face



I've seen a few reports out there on who is spending for advertising on MySpace.com, and in general, I don't think many big retailers are included in this club.


The challenge with social networking sites is to convey your brand message without attracting unwanted negative attention.



TGR



Large apparel retailers appear to be a little phobic about the context in which their ads will appear at MySpace. If you have a nationally recognized brand, the odds are pretty high you are already represented there.




Notice a common theme in some of these profiles? There are a lot of "Great Outdoors" retailers on MySpace, and they all have thousands of friends.


BURTON

This one seems like a no-brainer to me. Lots of "great outdoor" people get to add their favorite "outdoor brand" to their list of friends, and the outdoor brand gets to post special offers to these folks, and talk about events they are sponsoring around the country.

So far, my favorite company out there is called Moosejaw.com. Their profile is full of zanny contests, funny pictures, and a daily free t-shirt giveaway (I have a t-shirt fetish) that convey a real sense of fun. They send my bulletins about special offers...all free marketing
Moosejaw


Is REI too dumb to understand they are missing an opportunity, or to scared too put their brand out there? Test your brand out on a social network, before someone else tests it for you.

REI