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social websites. This means that, in general, social networks are essentially
for the masses, an approach that is quite the opposite of what luxury repre-
sents or strives to offer. And this brings me to the issue of the suitability of
mass-focused social networks for the luxury industry. Should luxury brands
participate in social networks and, if so, how? Or should they just stay away
and observe the public discussions about them and their competitors hoping
that they would be portrayed positively and the competitors negatively. Before
answering these questions, let's take a quick look at some of the main concep-
tions and misconceptions of social networks.
Conceptions and misconceptions of social networks
Although social networks are nothing new in the real world, they remain a
relatively recent phenomenon online. Not surprisingly several conceptions
and misconceptions have been formed about this medium, particularly in the
luxury industry. Some of the most popular are the following:
1. Social networks are for people that have nothing to do
This must be a joke. Online social networks are thriving communities that
bring people of all walks of life together. They are as much for people
who have ample free time as for those who have little time. The beauty of
social networks and online communities is that the core value or interest
area is often pre-determined and therefore people are drawn to participate
in discussions and exchanges without feeling that they are losing their
time. Also, the average time spent on social networks per visit is 8.5 min-
utes, which is quite minimal because people can jump in and out of con-
versations within seconds and it takes half a second to click on a mouse.
Social networks like LinkedIn and A Small World are known for draw-
ing highly educated and successful groups of people that range from
senior-level company executives to record-setting sports personalities,
award-winning artists and renowned politicians.
2. Social networks are for opportunists
Well, there are surely opportunists on social networks but this is not the core
group that form the very fabric of online social networks. Online communi-
ties are for congregating, connecting, engaging and exchanging, and these
features are more to do with sharing and giving and less to do with exploiting,
extracting or manipulating. Anyhow, the members of online communities are
smart enough to know when they're being exploited and they will not hesitate
to expose and boycott the exploiters whether it is on a corporate level or not.
3. Social networks are for the masses
It is true that several social networks admit anyone and everyone with a
computer and a mouse but there are online networks whose core values are
drawn from their exclusivity. Even though the Chinese (Qzone etc.) and the
Americans (Facebook etc.) are competing for the largest number of users in
