Comments on: Westfield Facebook application draws fire

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Joojah has a point and to use the analogy…”if you stay in a place rent free…don’t complain about the wallpaper”

By: Marcus

Marcus — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:58:43 +0000

So friendly.

Petty Australian social media space.

By: The Jurys out for Westfield’s Marketing Campaign « Ideas in Motion

The Jurys out for Westfield’s Marketing Campaign « Ideas in Motion — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:42:57 +0000

[...] http://www.Mumbrella.com.au [...]

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:20:48 +0000

Often campaigns that tread the fine line work. They create a stir and generate awareness… The fact that the app is now removed again gives it an immortal worth (like dead pop stars…)

A colleague yesterday boguht 8 sets of David Jones Vouchers for his family and friends for Christmas – when there are two giants Pepsi can sell Coke, so to speak…

By: Gavin

Gavin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:06:35 +0000

Think its spam, and as with Twitter Spam, I just block it. FB makes it easy to do this, but again would prefer if my ‘friends’ weren’t so easily sucked in

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:57:41 +0000

Astroturfing alert

1. Chris
27 Nov 09
5:07 pm

This is an excellent promotion leveraging the viral aspect of facebook… Some people may have an issue with seeing their entire news feed filled with “All I Want for Christmas is a Westfield Gift Card” … However it only shows the success of the promotion that over 200,000 people have added the app! Simple, low barrier and viral. Well done Westfield & if anyone has an issue with their news feed filling up, take it up with your mates.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:56:54 +0000

This is such an irritating and irresponsible use of social media. Advertising correctly using FB is completely fine… but this campaign is up there with telemarketing, chain-letters and sweepstakes scams.

It reflects badly on M&C Saatch and their client.

By: Eastfield

Eastfield — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:42:44 +0000

“All I want for Xmas is for Sh1tfield to f!@# off” is a group on Facebook with 1689 members (a fraction of the 200,000 that joined up to Westfield’s own campaign.)

Will any of these 1689 members shop at Westfield this Christmas? – The answer is probably yes! Will the majority of the 200,000 who joined the official Westfield campaign to win a Westfield voucher buy one this Christmas? – Probably not?

Has it got people talking about Westfield for the right or wrong reasons? – Yes? Is that a bad thing? – Dunno?

OK, I am off to open a department store and then set up an amazing social networking campaign called: “Pin the tail on the Westfield donkey”

- What you have to do is film yourself in Westfield running up the down escalator, braying like a donkey and then pin a tail onto a Westfield security guard. Videos can be uploaded to the Facebook group: “Shopping Malls are soulless places like cruise ships, casino’s and fitness first” The funniest and most innovative video wins a prize…

By: infokill

infokill — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:07:55 +0000

What is so special/infringing about this? They are using the existing API to edit and publish your own status.

To all the people that cry about this sort of thing, they should realise that their precious facebook is not free and they have every right to attract marketing and advertising. Obviously for 200,000 people this is a relevant thing. The controversy and blogging activity like this just works into the hands of the brand. I’d be stoked if it was a campaign I had worked on… Everyone talking about Westfield, good or bad. I’m sure they will have a very healthy turnover as they do every year.

Well done I say.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:33:15 +0000

Everyone I know thought this was spam, even people who registered later sent out a warning to their friends that this was dodgy.

The message that this ‘campaign’ was a scam spread much faster than the promotion.

I’ll leave it up to the rest of you to disect whether this is successful or not, however on the surface there was much more negative speak about the promotion.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:27:09 +0000

200,000 vote yes. 3,300 vote no. That’s only 1.65% against.

I daresday every campaign is capable of attracting as many, if not more, detractors regardless of the medium. We get a greater portion of nays in federal elections, but that seems acceptable for 3 years.

Both Westfield and Facebook are going with the overwhelming majority. As should we all.

Plus, anyone truly upset with the supposed inundation of Westfield marketing on their beloved facebook page can simply de-friend the person who brought that marketing to them.

By: Ange

Ange — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:08:46 +0000

I just posted this article on my Facebook status;)

By: Anon

Anon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:57:50 +0000

What was the objective of the campaign? To get entries or sell gift cards? Let us know how many gift cards are purchased through the app and then we can judge how effective it’s been.

By: Carolyn Hyams

Carolyn Hyams — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:22:44 +0000

I have to agree with “Concerned Citizen”. I nearly agreed to download the Westfield application until the message came up saying that I had to give it permission to post unprompted branded status updates in my name. There’s no way I’d agree to updates in my account without my approval!

By: Jooja

Jooja — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:20:49 +0000

Facebook is not “yours”. You are using someone else’s website. The owner’s of that website can do with it what they like.

Get a life, losers