Coke launch MySpace clone for mobiles

Link: Coke promoting a MySpace for cellphones – International Herald Tribune

Coca-Cola is hoping its new cellphone-centric Web site for social networking, Sprite Yard, will become the MySpace of the cellphone world.

The product, to be introduced in the United States this month, will look a lot like the social networking sites that have become popular on the Internet. Consumers will be able to set up personal profiles, share photos and chat online with friends, all using cellphones rather than computer screens.

While I acknowledge Coca-Cola’s phenomenal brand power amongst the key social networking demographics, I’m not sure this’ll work. Coke have dabbled in the past in similar things, like Coke Music – albleit with limited success (Coke Music closed down in Europe last August).

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, perhaps they would have done better teaming up with an existing brand, like MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, etc. Although not all of them are totally mobile friendly yet, it’s only a matter of time before that’ll happen – and at which point the main selling point for using Sprite Yard will diminish.