Evolution is a strong word. It means that we have been partaking in an experience for long enough to see it from a basic beginning through a developed middle, to something a bit better at the end. Actually, there might not even be an end if its evolution, but that’s a point for another day.
So what is The Evolution of Exclusivity all about? Let me give you some background. When I first started thinking that social media was exciting, it was when we talked about it being a 1-to-1 connection between a brand and a fan. Personal media if you like. As social media itself has evolved, we have begun to talk less about the need for 1-to-1 and more about the need for transparency and openness. This in itself is progress.
But I loved the idea of 1-to-1 and would love conversations to go back to that point, so I am going to start the movement here.
Exclusivity for me (in this case at least) is defined by two things; a
personal experience
about something you are
passionate about
. As brands and consumers have evolved with social media, we have realized that openness and transparency about everything doesn’t always suit us. There are something we like to keep to ourselves or share with like-minded people, not everyone.
This has seen the rise of exclusive networks, although I would argue these were around long before the kid called Facebook landed on the block. These exclusive networks don’t themselves even need to be small, a term coined by Wired to describe a collection of these niches was the MegaNiche.
These exclusive networks can operate on a 1-to-1 basis, the admins and owners can have personal relationships with their members because they can choose the members they work with. This means better content, a more streamlined personal experience, and as they are run by incredibly passionate and knowledgable people you get a lot more out of them.
Where do exclusive networks go from here? Short-term networks forming around events seem to be on the rise, even now with #march26 protests/riots in London, short-term networks formed reporting and collaborating on what was happening. With the use of #tags this seems like a pretty likely direction for these types of networks.
In the same vein, there are networks forming around ticketing for 2012 which will evolve to something altogether bigger and beastlier for the actual 2012 event. #london2012 is already booming as a hashtag.
I’ll be interested to see how brands attempt to form both long and short form networks. We have always said that brands need to be in social media for the long-term, but I think experimental brands can easily play in exclusive networks for the short-term.
