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Bold tech & web commentary

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Rolling Stone Social Network: Born to gather moss

Om lets us know that Rolling Stone Magazine is creating a social network. So - a sixties brand with little relevance to the social-networking MySpace & FaceBook generation is attempting to gloss a layer of hipness over their decaying empire: I don’t see much good coming from this.

Rolling Stone has two options:

CURRENT PLAN = BAD IDEA: Increase brand penetration in their traditional target demographic: the 30+ aging hipsters crowd is where Rolling Stone finds its readership. By launching their own social network, they are taking on the challenge of converting this demographic - which has largely ignored the phenomenon - into social networkers. Whatever gains they expect to get in brand awareness, online presence, or physical circulation will be challenging to come by in a conceptually hostile market segment.
Increase brand penetration in new demographics: If Rolling Stone really wants to expand into the burgeoning, music-obsessed youth/college market, they should go where they go: FaceBook and MySpace. Create a co-branded special content area and/or group membership features around the Rolling Stone brand and content.

This whole thing looks like CEO “Gotta Have It” effect, sold up by hyperbolic consultants. Time for Rolling Stone to pause and re-think.