This Profile by Versace: the Next Step in Social Media Penetration

Docksiders and a periwinkle polo. A thick-leather Harley jacket despite 90-degree heat. A Rolex. A Rolls. Nike sportswear. An American flag belt buckle. A big-as-a-blimp FUBU shirt. A plain white tee. Each item evokes a person and a whole network of associations. The obvious lesson: clothes and brands define us. The fashion industry drew in over an estimated $20 billion of revenue last year. That’s a high cost per impression. And that amount balloons to the ridiculous once you expand it to brands in general–knowing Burger King’s aggressive ad campaigns I am sure they would love to create a Meat-Lover’s Facebook profile.

Then we have social media: the polo-wearer’s Facebook page; the Harley-driver’s Twitter account; the world is violently joining, connecting, commenting, tweeting… Social media is becoming increasingly important in how we define and talk about ourselves and how others view us. A profile must communicate no less than our style, depth, and interests, and touch at what makes us individuals. In light of the power of fashion and the importance of social media, why haven’t Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Nike and all the rest created tasteful, branded profile layouts for Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and other social media outlets. You buy a new suit for an interview to stand out from the crowd and look professional—why not a new LinkedIn template?

We are in the midst of a revolution in individualization—custom ringtones and cellphone backgrounds, customized shoes from NikeID, personalized t-shirts from CustomInk. Our collective focus on individualization even explains the explosive growth of tattoos. But I digress.

Truth be told, there are a host of reasons why big brands haven’t rushed out into the social media space, but the reasons why they have not are as interesting as the reasons why they should.

No Precedent: No one else has done it. There might be unseen risks. There isn’t an established path to success—what if Facebook, in an egalitarian stroke, refuses to give up control over profile layouts? What if users find some way of pirating the layout? And as Chris Anderson would quickly point out, how do you compete with Free? There is no free option for real-world clothing but Facebook provides an elegant layout for Free—and economics does kooky things when Free is a competitor, but I am sure there will be tiered pricing.  Burger King will give its layouts away in exchange for the impressions and Prada will cost exorbitant amounts of money.  We should also remember that brands and fashion are innovative, and there is a precedent of a big internet brand allowing a company to smash their site for money and increased user value, just watch Wario wreck YouTube.

The unknown should not prove an obstacle. One way of establishing the meme is to give away layouts with other items: A facebook profile packaged with a purse; a twitter layout with a pair of running shoes. If the layouts are well-designed, I predict the meme would spread quickly. And you know, like the Wario phenonemon, whoever does it first is going to reap a rich harvest of free press.

Real-world versus Digital :: Despite the similarities between one’s clothing and social media profile, clothing has two distinct advantages:

• Sensory Shopping :: Social media is disconnected from the senses—it is flat, two-dimensional, and purely visual. If Lindstrom’s “Buyology” and Underhill’s “Why We Buy” have taught us anything it is that we shop with our senses: we test the heavy weave of a sweater, in many cases now we even smell our clothing (think Abercrombie & Fitch). Without that intimate bodily connection, something is lost.
• Gratification :: The gratification of social media is less immediate than fashion—additional friends and followers likely don’t compare with turning heads as you walk through the street or watching your significant other’s eyeballs do jumping-jacks. You aren’t there to observe someone observing your profile. That said, MySpace is an amazing, if horrifyingly grotesque, example of the time and energy people will spend to personalize their profile.

Social Utility :: Besides the pleasure of buying and wearing clothes and brands, there is also the social utility of looking good and appearing sucessful. Fashion has a social utility and the question is whether or not a social media profile shares it. In a word: yes. Potential soul-mates view you through your facebook, blog, match.com, and twitter pages. Potential employers search your facebook and linkedin profiles. A profile has a clear social value.

The question then becomes whether a unique branded layout would function like clothing as far as individualizing yourself and , and whether people would pay for it. On one hand, your photos, job title, and personal information do a good job of communicating you (and hopefully your wearing clothes in your pictures which could be communicating your status all on their own). That said, a unique, tasteful template could allow people to further differentiate themselves—just look at how much Facebook users spent on digital “Gifts” (hint: $75 million).

Summing Up :: it’s only a matter of time until big brands begin penetrating social media in a deeper, more engaging way. At some level, a facebook fan page just doesn’t cut it. And whoever leads the charge is going to benefit enormously. Democratizing design does not have to result in MySpace abominations.