Recognizing the increase in popularity of sites like MySpace.com and Facebook.com, photo-sharing site Webshots will launch its own social network, called CollegeLive, to target college students, writes MediaPost (via MediaBuyerPlanner). All Webshots users with an ".edu" registered email address will be connected to CollegeLive - which has separate communities for each academic institution.
At first, CollegeLive will generate funds only by text ads. Russ Novy, Webshot's director of the marketing community, said that interviewed students "really didn't want to see the usual IAB, network display ads. They told us 'we're not going to pay, and we're not going to click.'"
The site will also receive funds through brand partnerships, allowing advertisers to upload photos and branded material for students to use in their event profiles and albums. "We know the brands that will work for the college audience," Novy said. "Event throwers are going to have to invite the brand into their party."
