The Biz of Coding

After US DoD, Apple Stores ban MySpace

by Ujwal Tickoo on May 26th, 2007

Is this Karmic boomerang or what? Eventhough MySpace bought over Photobucket they might be sufferring the Karmic effects of messing with Photobucket blocks some times prior to the acquisition? Those blocks had hurt traffic on Photobucket. Now its karma payback time! :)

After US Department of Defence now Apple Stores have announced a ban on MySpace stating that users visiting the stores to check out new Macs tend to spend hours on the website:

An Apple Store employee…confirmed to CNET News.com…"MySpace is a big issue for the Apple stores because people come in, Photobooth themselves (using Macs' built-in webcams), then stick their picture up on their MySpace account and loiter at machines for hours," the source said in an e-mail. "It is especially troublesome at the flagships and high-volume stores, and for a while there was no official word on how to deal with it."

Heavy MySpace use was simply getting in the way of business. And with the impending launch of the iPhone, perhaps the most hyped Apple product yet, store traffic could reach a fever pitch.

Both US DoD and Apple Stores are citing similar sounding reasons, usage choking traffic or accessbility in some way. Doesnt that mean that MySpace's popularity growing beyond the comfort zone of players within and outside the ecosystem? How will MySpace Advertisers react to this series of bans? From a Brand Management perspective can Apple even afford such a ban?

Age groups 18-40 and  are around approx 33% of the users of Apple's iPods in the US according to a Pew Internet report. For MySpace – Age group 25 and above accounted for over 68% of user base in 2006 according to ComScore. Thus, there would be iPod users who also use MySpace. How would these users feel about the ban? I guess jarred. Won't this ban mar Apple's Brand in the minds of the MySpace generation? Apple is definitely not DoD in its brand positioning. Can it afford placing such a ban, even if its just on its stores not products?

Next thing you hear, schools and colleges would extend the ban? WoW! This is the best or worst free publicity Rupert Murdoch could have expected. What do you think?

Read More: US Military Ban on MySpace, YT, etal. — What are the Business Effects

POSTED IN: MySpace