Friendster unveiled its rebranded website last Friday, December 4, and it looks as fresh, fun and simple as it claims. “Connecting smiles”, that’s the new tagline, and that’s what the new Friendster is all about.
The new website is more than just to mark a milestone in the social media’s history, it is in part to address the majority of its users, the Asian youth market, ages 16-24. The new Friendster provides a standout choice from its competition sites, and from complexity of addressing over 115 million registered users across the globe, 75 million (equivalent to 65%) of which are in Asia. The site supports 11 Asian languages including traditional and simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Spanish, Pilipino, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese.
With the Philippines and Malaysia as its strongest markets in the region, Friendster VP Philippines and Global Head of Brand Experience, Ben Dunn acknowledges that social networking is “right smack in what Filipinos have been doing for years, something that really taps into Philippine culture.
< width="420" height="278" src=" friendster VP and global head of brand experience Ben Dunn(1). " alt="" />
"I have never come across people this happy, wanting to party, to connect with and meet new people. Connecting smiles, that’s exactly where the thinking is coming from. Connecting people and connecting those smiles,” Dunn elaborates.
More than the image of an individualistic smiley, the logo takes center-stage. A hip, quirky (dare one say cute?) green cloud—Friendster seems to have nailed it.
“I absolutely love it! They did a fantastic job”, Dunn gushes, pertaining to the logo and Friendster’s agency, the Sydney-based Yellow. “(The color) Green performs a number of functions. It is dynamic and a lot more fun. From a branding perspective, it’s easier to own, because everybody else is blue.
Though there is nothing wrong with blue, it’s a safe color, and the site wanted to stand out. “We are Friendster. We are dynamic, known for passion and boldness. So it’s important that we’re different,” he explains.
< width="420" height="278" src=" friendster VP and global head of brand experience Ben Dunn. " alt="" />
As important as it is to capture and engage its online users, Friendster knows they have an active social life as well. Dunn says there will be an increasing amount of outdoor events for the site. “The site is a site. We are a social network, that will always be the focus, but Pinoy Friendster Day proved that the brand has legs to apply,” he adds.
Pinoy Friendster Day gathered over 7,000 participants, and the site treats it as a pilot by which to guide similar events across the region. Further proof of Friendster’s outdoor presence is the Friendster billboard that will stay on display at Bonifacio High Street.
Beyond the events, Friendster has other plans for the new year in terms of merchandising and regional events, the latter as a means of strengthening partnerships with other brands, like Billabong.
Of the development of Friendster, and its rebranding, Dunn says, “Working for Friendster is a great pleasure. All my waking moments are spent thinking: How can I give my users more fun? How can they have more fun? I think (it’s in) the interaction of on- and offline.”
Friendster users can easily connect with anyone around the world via www.friendster.com or m.friendster.com from any Internet-ready mobile device.
