MySpace was where much of the hype surrounding social media started. It picked up teenagers in droves and introduced them to personal online space, rather like living in a virtual bedroom complete with your own wallpaper and furniture. My daughter was addicted, but now she’s on Facebook where most of her friends also migrated.
It took a big dive when News Corp got hold of it and tried to milk it with advertising and many users simply grew up and headed over to Facebook.
But now, according to The New York Times the site is going for the Gen Y audience (mostly 13 to 35) and hoping to complement Facebook rather than compete directly.
Let’s watch that space. My big question is; MySpace already targets the younger group. Their problem to solve is how to stay relevant to each new generation of young people? Coke solved it from the beginning by evolving with each new generation and by staying popular as young people got older. I suspect the challenge is greater for MySpace because they’re now perceived as a failing brand and the competition for hearts and minds online is intense in the Gen Y space.
I wonder if MySpace could have gone back even 6 years, how they might have done things differently?
Take a look at Mashable Screenshots of the new MySpace.