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platforms signals a progression in human consciousness that is taking place
at a rapid pace and is centred on the “me” universe.
Features and functions of the social web
The social web attracts people because it's a medium created by real people for
real folks and, better still, its contents are all about giving individuals an oppor-
tunity to have some recognition and attention. Since it is an inborn human trait
to be attracted to anything that allows us to be the centre of focus, the social
web is a natural winner in connecting with people. It's no wonder that there are
bazillions of people on social networks like FaceBook, MySpace and YouTube
and that newcomers like Twitter have taken off in such a short time. In addi-
tion to being concentrated on the individual, the social web also has several
core characteristics that separate it from other digital mediums serving similar
purposes. These features underlie the hidden rules that must be respected in
strategically approaching the social web as well as the specific tactics that lux-
ury brands could adopt in overcoming the challenges of the social web. Unlike
other online media, the social web is hardly static and is also not controlled by
a structured operational model but derives its own mechanism from the manner
of its usage. These mechanisms feature the following characteristics, which are
quite obvious but which could well be worth highlighting.
Transparency
The most apparent feature of the social web is its transparency, or what many
have called its “naked” nature. The first rule of thumb is that the owners,
founders or moderators of the social networks must be known to the par-
ticipants. Whether it is an individual, association, company, group of friends,
a family or whoever, they must show their face and tell their story. People
will not participate in an online forum if it is not clear who is behind it. This
may explain why blogs like
Gucci Space
(www.guccispace.com) and
Prada
Handbags
(www.pradahandbags101.com) hardly generate any conversations
or participation from people despite their many posts.
Secondly, the dialogues and exchanges that take place on blogs, social net-
works and other user-to-user platforms are conversations that can be seen,
read, heard and discussed by anyone with even a remote interest or with an
active mouse. This means that there is nothing hidden on the social web and
that the activities on the platforms are exactly as they appear. Also the fact
that the social web exists in real time makes the content relevant and the
topics being discussed most appropriate. The open nature of the social web also
makes it accepting of criticism and negative input. This means that users and
participants have signed up to be exposed to both praise and ridicule because
negative comments are not lacking on online forums. Fortunately, most social
web platforms keep the negativity objective because the moderators also have
