You couldn't go a few minutes at the CONNECTIONS™ conference last week without hearing the buzz phrases:
- Multi-platform
- Companion devices
- Cloud
- Advertising
Another one that was bantered about was social networking integration - using the power and scale of Facebook to build deeper relationships between media companies and their audiences as well as the use of social networking as a way for media companies to guide consumers to the content that they want. You definitely see the pace of media-Facebook integration accelerating. Below, I've pulled together a rough timeline of major announcements between media players and the social networking site:
- August 2006: Facebook introduces the first version of the Facebook API, enabling users to share their information with the third party websites and applications they choose
- May 2007: Launch of Facebook Platform, which allowed third party developers to build rich social applications within Facebook.
- May 2008: Facebook introduces Facebook Connect, that allows users to "connect" their Facebook identity, friends and privacy to any site.
- March 2008: Paramount offers clips from its movies via ZooVoo.
- July 2009: Verizon integrates Facebook as a widget into its FiOS TV Service.
- September 2010: Facebook blocks Apple's Ping from accessing the Facebook Connect API, so Apple removes the feature from iTunes.
- April 2010: Pandora can tap into the Open API Graph from Facebook to determine music tastes.
- May 2011: Warner Bros. offers video rentals on Facebook.
- July 2011: In its highly-anticipated IPO, Zynga discusses how its games have been #1 on Facebook since 2009, but notes that if it can't "maintain a good relationship with Facebook, [its] business will suffer."
- July 2011: After launching integration with Facebook Connect on July 1, Hulu temporarily suspended the service on July 5 after some users saw the profile photo and email address of other users when connecting their accounts.
- July 2011: Comcast to integrate Facebook into its XFINITY IPG.
- July 2011: Game show producer Endemol is using Facebook Credits to collect micropayments from viewers who want to kick contestants off the German version of Big Brother.
- July 2011: Facebook Video Chat is powered by Skype.
- July 2011: TV Genius announces an EPG integration with Facebook.
- July 2011: Spotify and Facebook in a collaboration?
It certainly seems to make sense to create tighter linkages between media producers and fans, but I wonder how much work most consumers will want to "open their APIs" to every taste, every show they like, and every marketer even if it means better recommendations? I mean, I'm not about to go tell the world that I like "Covert Affairs" on USA because Piper Perabo is easy on the eyes, now am I? Oh wait...I guess I just did that.
