Facebook’s Mobile Phone: Three Reasons to "Unlike" This Strategy
Facebook is set to announce this Thursday the release of the Facebook Phone in partnership with
HTC. According to
the latest mobile report from The New York Times,
the plans are to manufacture the first smartphone designed around the
total social/sharing experience that Facebook enables. Maybe it’ll be
called PhoneBook? Ugh.
On paper, it’s a really good idea. More than a billion people use
Facebook on a regular basis to connect with friends, weigh in on
political ideas, and just generally brag. And as it turns out, MOST of
them are posting, liking and commenting from a mobile device.
However, this announcement is NOT on paper. It’s real. And on most
levels, it’s kind of silly. Facebook has become one of the most
visible, one of the most recognized, and one of the most important
brands on the planet, (although, according to
the stock price relative to the IPO, NOT one of the most valuable.)
And yet, with all the Stanford MBAs on staff in their marketing and
operations departments, is there anyone there voicing an opinion that
this is a thinly veiled brand extension that's simply designed to
appease shareholders with a strategy to create more revenue streams?
Because, let’s face it folks, that’s what it is.
The subtext of the “exciting” and “new” direction for Facebook is to
have another screen for advertising. Period. Facebook’s entire
valuation was built – however hastily, however erred – on the idea that a
billion+ eyeballs is a road paved with advertising gold. Add another
screen, and you can charge another scale. The new rate card must be
getting a design makeover just like the news feed.
But that road to gold, being paved this week with this mobile
announcement, is pocked with obstacles. From a marketing perspective,
these three obstacles indicate a likely FAIL and another rough year for
Zuck & Co.
Weight 169 grams
