Cookies and Underwear Connect on the Web

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

23 Nov 2007 06:47 AM

When is a cookie not just a cookie? When it can strengthen friendships and improve your social life. At least, that is what Pepperidge Farm hopes you will understand, as it joins the growing number of branded products that promise and promote social networking through specialized websites.

Social networking web sites are extremely popular right now, and the fastest growing segment of websites in terms of growth and the number of visitors. Our own very popular Families.com, for example, brings people together in a safe environment to come together, learn new things and be entertained. While I can't vouch for the safety factor or the knowledge you might gain in other social networking websites (I prefer families.com), I can tell you that these social networking websites, as a whole, do bring in a lot of popular advertising from brand name companies, such as Blockbuster, Microsoft and Sony.

Product manufacturers are taking advantage of that fact to develop their own social networking websites, in an effort to bring all of their specific customers together (and perhaps to develop a strong brand loyalty with them).

Pepperidge Farm, which is owned by the Campbell Soup Company has launched their networking site called, artofthecookie.com, which is focused on helping women improve their social lives. for men, there is a funny site called jockeyunderwars.com that features a video contest. And the famous Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, has its own social networking website as well, campaignforrealbeauty.com.

So far, this new strategy seems to be working, although it may backfire with some consumers, since the logos and content can be slanted with the commercial effort to sell visitors the branded products, leaving many users of these websites feeling manipulated. But many of these new campaigns that are focused on social networking use little or even no advertising, letting the brand name speak for itself. The Proctor & Gamble Company, for its Pantene line of hair care, developed a site that instructs and encourages women to cut their hair and donate it to cancer victims. The website traffic for beautifullengths.com comes in at almost three times the amount that was predicted by the company.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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