Nintendo has become the first consumer brand to disable comments and feedback on a UK social media campaign.
Social websites like MySpace, Facebook and MySpace have evolved in the last year or so; allowing companies to promote their products through official pages and offer exclusive material for those who sign up. Often members of these networks can share the campaign with their friends and in turn spreads through word of mouth. Nintendo has launched a campaign for Animal Crossing (out this week) on Bebo but strangely enough has disabled comments on the pages.
We'd rather people received information through word-of-mouth than us controlling it. We encourage them to talk, but we just want them to take the conversation elsewhere.
Zoe Cooper, junior product manager at Nintendo
Various agencies and publishers have found the move confusing. CRM manager for EA Colin Blackwood said "Talking is what people do on these sites. If you're not going to allow them to talk you might as well just stick up an ad."
These days it's fairly impossible to find someone not signed up to a social network or discussion group. Microsoft on the other hand, has embraced the increase in social media, trying to get users to provide their feedback directly.
Social media culture is very important to us. We have a presence on all the major social networks and encourage our users to get involved and talk back to us through it."Alex Weller, Xbox experience manager
Whilst Nintendo have had tremendous success for both the Wii and DS through word of mouth and television advertising; with the chance to have free promotion through social networks and receive instant feedback, surely it would be a good route to take?
Should Nintendo open up their official campaigns for discussion?