I was skeptical when Playboy launched its exclusive social network for college students in August called PlayboyU, mostly because Hef’s adult entertainment empire had chosen merely to brand a standard Ning website. While it’s questionable to me whether a corporate brand can ever sustain a large and active social network, it just didn’t seem like the company was trying very hard to leverage its assets and create a uniquely Playboy social networking experience.
In apparent response to disappointing engagement levels (PlayboyU had about 5,000 members in early November and, as of writing, only 12 “site activity” items in the last 12 hours), Playboy is pushing a fairly lengthy survey on its “charter members” through email and on-site ads. It asks questions about social network usage, Playboy brand perceptions and, most importantly, the appeal of integrating magazine content into the social network (although with little emphasis on nudity, suggesting that Playboy is still wary of turning PlayboyU into an outlet for soft pornography).
Among the types of content considered by the survey are cartoons, music picks, advice from Playboy experts, behind the scenes footage of Playboy events, Playmate and “Girls of” profiles, excerpts from “The Girls Next Door” show, fashion pages, and party jokes. Playboy is also apparently weighing the option of creating a “public” site for college age adults that would provide not only traditional Playboy content but serve as a resource like Princeton Review with guides to campus life and ranking systems, as well as “original editorial and video segments related to college life.” This second site would probably not replace PlayboyU, since the registration requirement of a “.edu” email address is one – if not the – selling point of the current social network (see the video created by a site representative below).
It’s too early to tell whether this survey will amount to any real changes to PlayboyU, although the company is obviously exploring ways to improve the social network by taking it in new directions. We’ll just have to see what Playboy comes up with in 2008, and whether it finds Ning to be flexible enough for its attempts at differentiation.
Wow, this is not not not a good sign for Ning. If playboy cannot get more than 12 active members in their network, then the umpteen thousand other networks are in deep doo doo
I wonder if Ning has more networks than active users !
@damon:
playboy’s network doesn’t even rate in Ning’s current list of popular networks (http://www.ning...m/home/networks) so I think it says more about Playboy’s tacky approach than it does about Ning.
More market-research than social network. Whod’a thunk that a dead-tree company wouldn’t do something interesting with the internet?!
BTW, cool video
Who wants to be in a “social network” with other pervs?
Um, not me though, I only read it for the articles.
@5, I agree – lol
it’s like getting and wanting to know who are the other jackoffers
If Playboy wants to increase traffic, they should make their playmates create profiles (which would be a little ironic, since most playmates are college-aged, but not college material). Then all the college boys would join for a chance to be fake friends with someone they’ve seen naked in a magazine.
(P.S. If Playboy uses this idea, Hef has to invite me to a party. It’s only fair.)
Hef should sticking with paying women to have sex with him.
Hey, they banned me!
fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
That video is so cool! However, it is more interesting and entertaining than the site itself. Maybe they should get the video editor to quarterback the site. haha
Hahaha…that’s so true! The music crossover made me take a double take. Awesome video…that video made me want to sign up, but I remembered I’m on 4 other social networking sites with more people and more content on them. You gotta give them kudos for the video, though.
Playboy U now has about 16,049 members!
Hello!
Come check out Playboy U! I have been a member since April 2008. I see their progress a lot and there are many interesting discussions and many HOT pic.
Miss February 2008
Playmate Michelle McLaughlin is on PlAYBOY U
http://www.play...issFebruary2008
Come check out Playboy U! I have been a member since April 2008. I see their progress a lot and there are many interesting discussions