Breaking: “Kisses” Facebook Page Renamed “OraBrush” Overnight; Profound Implications
4pm, June 30 2009, UPDATE! Facebook has since changed the name of the page BACK to “Kisses” and removed their vanity URL! To top it all off, sources at OraBrush tell us that they were NOT informed of this change! What is going on at Facebook? Stay tuned to Buzz Marketing Daily – we’ll be updating as we hear more! You can still view the Kisses-turned-OraBrush-now-Kisses-again page here.
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8:30am, June 30 2009. Overnight, the 1.29 million fans of “Kisses” on Facebook became fans of “OraBrush”, the company who several weeks ago made social media headlines when they ‘bought’ this generic Fan Page from the admin who started it for an anonymous sum.
Fan of the Page Cat Griffen in the screenshot to the right said it best on the Page’s Wall: “Cheeky Bastards”.
Cat is undoubtedly not alone in her dissatisfaction. The 1.29 million fans of “Kisses” did not become fans of an oral care/ tongue cleaner company – and to change the name of the Page violates Facebook’s stated rules:
[...] This post was Twitted by brocoads [...]
Hi,
I am not an employee of OraBrush but I have done some consulting for them as this project has moved forward. I can give some clarity to the situation.
Months ago OraBrush learned that people were most concerned about their breath when they are kissing. So they made “kissing” pages in a bunch of different languages. It was a branding experiment to brand OraBrush with the tagline “Keep your mouth kissable”. Later OraBrush decided it would be smart to buy the page “kisses”.
Facebook has recently decided that anything that is not a trademarked brand name can no longer be a page on facebook. Generic pages are out. OraBrush was told by Facebook that they would have to combine all their pages into one and change the name of their page to the OraBrush brand name. This is not new, Vitamin Water also had to do this with “the Great Debate” a few weeks ago http://www.facebook.com/vitaminwater. It started out as the great debate between Kobe and Lebron sponsored by Vitamin Water and now it is just called Vitamin Water.
I know after speaking with OraBrush, they are upset about this move also. They had not only put a fair amount of ad money into all their FB kissing pages, but they had also purchased Kisses (which had to go through facebook to get the admins changed).
OraBrush is a tiny innovative little start-up simply trying to think outside the box and ended up in whirlwind of facebook policy adjustments. OraBrush is trying to comply with facebook policy.
I spoke with OraBrush yesterday about this. Orabrush is not trying to be sneaky. This was not planned. It will be announced to all OraBrush/Kisses fans what happened and they will also be given a tutorial on how to remove themselves as fans if they no longer want to be a part of the page.
I hope that gives some clarity.
Jeff Harmon
consultant to OraBrush
Among other things it just seems like a very poor use of social networking. The paradigm shift of marketing via social networking (as opposed to traditional media) is that in a social networking environment people can make their opinions known (for good or for bad) pretty easily. I can’t imagine anyone being happy that they are unwillingly “fans” of a commercial product they were previously unaware of.
A better solution might be to do what my company is doing now (hopefully). We have a generic Facebook page (”no computer problems”) which people can “fan”. But we’re clear that it’s a page owned by Computer Troubleshooters (the company), and it’s clear that most of the page is offering free computer advice and tips. It’s not blatant self-promotion, nor will it ever be. If people want to be fans of Computer Troubleshooters, that’s a seperate page. Changing the page after people have “fanned” it seems unethical to me. What’s weird though is if it’s against Facebook’s rules, how did it even happen?
Chip
Chip, what you are doing is exactly right…by disclosing up front.
Jeff, it’s not really about OraCare. OraCare should NOT have been able to buy a generic page from an entrepreneurial person who took money for the building of a generic page that was against TOS. By Facebook allowing that transition to take place, and then allowing Oracare to keep those fans– they are sending a message that this is okay.
Oracare should have been refunded the money they paid, and the page should have been taken down…
Something like: Fresh Breath Tips powered by OraCare, totally fine. Even: Stank-free Kissing..powered by OraCare. Fine. Those who become fans of Kisses, then automatically being fans of Oracare: NOT COOL.
- carrie
I agree, it’s weird. Jeffrey, please call theKbuzz office if you get the chance, 718.416.2899 – I have some more clarifying questions. Thanks.
carrie: all the kissing pages had/have “Sponsored by Orabrush” written all over them. It was all disclosed. Nothing secret.
Jeff,
When Oracare purchased the page with the 1.1 million fans of Kisses, those fans originally signed up for Kisses– not “Kisses by Oracare”. They were not disclosed to. That’s my only issue. Not the pages that were created and disclosed originally.
Thanks, carrie
If what Jeffrey Harmon says about “being a trademark” is true, then I wonder how this is going to effect the fanpage I just joined today.
“Not being on Fire” which to me is a very good thing to be a fan of! *shrug*
http://bit.ly/IobZF
@acmePhoto
If what Jeffrey Harmon says about “being a trademark” is true, then I wonder how this is going to effect the fanpage I just joined today.
“Not being on Fire” which to me is a very good thing to be a fan of! *shrug*
http://bit.ly/IobZF
@acmePhoto
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
Great! Nice info found here
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