MySpace Ducks Facebook With Music And Videos

MySpace is aiming for a comeback. The Wall Street Journal reports the once-dominant News Corp-owned social network convened its global ad-sales staff to strategize ways to use its still-potent brand equity in entertainment to lure back visitors and kick-start advertising revenue.

Despite being eclipsed by Facebook, MySpace retains strong brand identity and remains a popular resource for music and videos. It's still a necessity for bands. This cultural positioning -- and the tagline, "a place for music" -- makes viable the site’s new shift.

"This is not an all-things-for-everybody portal," says Jason Hirschhorn, the company's chief product officer. "This is a social entertainment experience."

MySpace plans to focus on slick new technology and on-trend media content, streamlining the usability and brand message, rather than treating Facebook as a primary competitor. Its biggest ad rivals will be video sites like YouTube, Hulu, Disney and other branches of News Corp, as well as online music stations like Pandora and AOL Music.

In this area, MySpace holds the advantage of a resilient brand identity. But brand identity alone may not be enough to resurrect a copmpany in such a crowded category. Says Shiv Singh, vice president and global social-media head at Avenue A/Razorfish:

Hardly a day goes by without a client asking me, 'What should I do with Facebook?' I don't get anywhere near as many questions about MySpace.”