New Habbo Managing Director (Phil Guest from AOL)

[2hd.]

Articles&Info;
http://www.mad.co.uk/Logon/ArticleLogon.aspx?uiArticleID=06256224-e076-401a-b77d-c83901d4cf0b&uiNavigationItemID=&uiPageID=8453a00f-9d1a-404a-beda-339905b6b8b4&PipelinedPage=/Main/News/Articlex/06256224e076401ab77dc83901d4cf0b/AOL-UK-director-defects-to-Habbo.html&PipelinedQueryString=uiArticleID%3d06256224-e076-401a-b77d-c83901d4cf0b%26uiNavigationItemID%3dd8f9fd23-813a-47b2-9696-31d9ca23a265%26
http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/32125/Phil+Guest+leaves+AOL+UK+to+head+Habbo+UK.html
http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2025488,00.html
http://www.telco2.net/event/speakers/Phil_Guest.php
http://www.brandrepublic.com/login/News/637059/


AOL UK’s commercial director Phil Guest has left the internet giant to become managing director of online teen community site Habbo UK.

The appointment is said to be the beginning of a series of new developments for Habbo founding company Sulake Corporation.

In his new role, Guest will be responsible for all aspects of the Habbo site in the UK, part of one of the largest teenage website’s in the world with 7.5 million users each month. It competes with rival social networks Bebo, Piczo and MySpace.
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Part of his remit will be to develop a long-term strategy for the company and to build advertising models around its 12 - 17 year old community.

The central premise of Habbo Hotel is to be a place where teenagers hang out safely, play games, interact and develop their self expression. Each user has a Habbo Console, which enables them to keep in contact with their friends through instant messaging without ever sharing personal details.

The Habbos, as they’re known on the site, are part of the generation that’s grown up with email, instant messenger and mobile phones. The site is often considered to be incomprehensible to adults due to the online teen language and use of symbols.

According to Guest: “Online communities are now an integral part of young consumers lives and Habbo has led the way in developing an entertaining and engaging social environment dedicated to teenagers. My objective is to build on the success of Habbo UK by raising awareness of the product and growing its customer base, whilst creating new complementary business models for advertising and merchandising”

Guest has been with AOL for 15 months and he was responsible for negotiating The O2 Dome as a founding partner. Before joining AOL he was at Fox Kids Europe.

He is the latest in a number of AOL UK’s senior management to leave the company following its repositioning around content, moving away from the service provider. Others who have recently left include AOL UK managing director Andy Jonesco, CMO Tobin Ireland and communications director Johnathan Lambeth.

credit to tm for telling me the MAD article

[Russia]

;o thats who she was talking about!!!

[F32]

How is Habbo ANYTHING like Piczo, Bebo and MySpace?

[Wootzeh]

How is Habbo ANYTHING like Piczo, Bebo and MySpace?
Isn't that why they released Habbo Homes? To try and compete with them?

[2hd.]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's mentioned in the financial times.

[F32]

Isn't that why they released Habbo Homes? To try and compete with them?
Yes and no.

Yes for the concept, but I think competition is too big to actually compete with MySpace and Bebo - it was just a scheme to attract more people to Habbo.

Habbo itself is nothing like MySpace or Bebo :rolleyes:

[[Jay]]

:o nice find

[Barmi]

Habbo itself is nothing like MySpace or Bebo :rolleyes:Thankfully. :rolleyes: Those are two of the most annoying, pointless sites on the whole of the Internet. *Shudders*

Heh, Sulake likes reeling in the pro's. ;) And as long as his Habbo remains anonymous, his console will not have permanent exclamation marks...

[OMGitsaROSS]

How is Habbo ANYTHING like Piczo, Bebo and MySpace?
Habbo is used to meet people.
Bebo is
MySpace is
Piczo could be..

[Amerix]

Real nice find + rep

[Jordy]

How is Habbo ANYTHING like Piczo, Bebo and MySpace?

Surprised no one has realised yet. Piczo, Bebo, Myspace and Habbo are all interactive sites for teenagers to connect. So they're all battling for the teenage internet web market. Myspace is for adults too though.

Great news +rep :D

Should be intresting, does this kind of put ukchaseral out of a job? Since guest focus's with marketing and advertising lots too which is Al's job? Perhaps he's leaving.

Edit: i just read it again. And he's "managing director" which is a more important and powerful position than lost_witness (Site Producer/Manager). L_w was the most important in the office I guess, but now he is.

"Phil Guest will be responsible for all aspects of Habbo in the UK" (The Guardian)

Edit 2: "Phil joined Sulake in February this year as country manager for Habbo UK." (Telco) Ahh that's who he is, the new country manager which Becs was on about a fortnight ago :D He wasn't a secret from us, but the media as well!

[madmike666]

Great sind dude +rep

[Rolah]

Lol that's funny :P the AOL and Habbo Offices are literally a couple of doors away from eachother rofl. And NYAH! Does that mean this guy is a celebrity or something? or a millionaire? I can see it now "OMGS CN I HAVE FREE CREDITZ COZ U R MILLINARE" The nightmares I'll have from that are undescribable.

Oh and they're trying to make Habbo Homes into a Teenage Network like Myspace and Piczo right now so generally it's okay to compare the two in statitory terms. Sorry if Ive used big words in here. lol.

[F32]

Lol that's funny :P the AOL and Habbo Offices are literally a couple of doors away from eachother rofl. And NYAH! Does that mean this guy is a celebrity or something? or a millionaire? I can see it now "OMGS CN I HAVE FREE CREDITZ COZ U R MILLINARE" The nightmares I'll have from that are undescribable.

Oh and they're trying to make Habbo Homes into a Teenage Network like Myspace and Piczo right now so generally it's okay to compare the two in statitory terms. Sorry if Ive used big words in here. lol.
At the moment it's almost impossible to compare and contrast the two.

[ReviewDude]

How is Habbo ANYTHING like Piczo, Bebo and MySpace?

Same target audience, as little as MySpace wants to admit it - teens.

[dd056]

Edit: i just read it again. And he's "managing director" which is a more important and powerful position than lost_witness (Site Producer/Manager). L_w was the most important in the office I guess, but now he is.

L_W was never most important, Smash was country manager before.

[Black_Apalachi]

Nice find 2hd. ;)

I hate MySpace. So if Habbo becomes like MySpace... I'll hate Habbo. :rolleyes:

Habbo was so much better back in the old days. :(

[Jordy]

L_W was never most important, Smash was country manager before.

SMASH left a few months ago though :P

Also habbo doesn't compete with piczo, bebo and myspace because of Habbo Home's. Like reviewdude said, it's because they all have the same target audience - Teenagers

[TrueColours]

GOOD FIND!!!!!!!!!!! WOOO AOL IS SO RUBBISH I USE TO USE IT IN 1999! PMSL!

[shiver]

Thankfully. :rolleyes: Those are two of the most annoying, pointless sites on the whole of the Internet. *Shudders*

Heh, Sulake likes reeling in the pro's. ;) And as long as his Habbo remains anonymous, his console will not have permanent exclamation marks...
They're not pointless - you can stay in contact with people, get music and other stuff.

Welcome to him, I suppose.

[Pyroka]

Oh my god, Habbo will soon become AOL! Heidster is from AOL, Redtiz is from AOL.. Now another one! I can see the new AOL Habbo Hotel.. HAbbO HoteL AMGADZ IT'S TOO LATE PLS. :P Nice find.

[TrueColours]

Oh my god, Habbo will soon become AOL! Heidster is from AOL, Redtiz is from AOL.. Now another one! I can see the new AOL Habbo Hotel.. HAbbO HoteL AMGADZ IT'S TOO LATE PLS. :P Nice find.
lol! AOL HOTEL! ;o I can see it now.. o.o.

[24]

ooo God. AOL Habbo. This means the help is going to get worst. All emails from the help tool will now be sent from habbo offices in India, and we may be harrassed if we try and leave Habbo. Argh!!

[Antony]

Oh my god, Habbo will soon become AOL! Heidster is from AOL, Redtiz is from AOL.. Now another one! I can see the new AOL Habbo Hotel.. HAbbO HoteL AMGADZ IT'S TOO LATE PLS. :P Nice find.

Lmaooo Ryan nice find ;p

I think AOL is going well down the pan now, but Habbo is going to be drastically improved with all of the new staff joining with different ways of doing things although soon, people moving into the UK office - the current staff will probably all know anyway by the looks of it! :p

[TrueColours]

This may be what it MIGHT look like if AOL take over.. o.o

http://www.uploadz.co.uk/114111.png

[Antony]

This may be what it MIGHT look like if AOL take over.. o.o

http://www.uploadz.co.uk/114111.png

Lmaooo + rep thanks for givin me a laugh :D

[ReviewDude]

This may be what it MIGHT look like if AOL take over.. o.o

http://www.uploadz.co.uk/114111.png

Rofl... Nice one TC :D

[TrueColours]

xD Lol It was a quick and simple alt thought ill lighten the mood on AOL :)

[Pyroka]

I think AOL is going well down the pan now, but Habbo is going to be drastically improved with all of the new staff joining with different ways of doing things although soon, people moving into the UK office - the current staff will probably all know anyway by the looks of it! :p

Down the pan?! It's been down the pan, through the sewer and into the sea where it was sucked in by a hydro power plant in America and was sent into the direction of Hawaii where it joined a volcano and ended up being a product of Evian. AOL pwned by Evian. Hehe.

TrueColors that is one of the best alterations I have EVER seen and it's so damn funny. That should go in elites.. or even better email it to the newHabbo managing director with the subject, "Your masterplan". :') I can see it now, it'd be like the face my teacher made when this girl said "Oh this is taking the ****" when he was asking her a question.. Good times.

[Shawnstra]

-warmly welcomes-

[Ashhizzle]

How is Habbo ANYTHING like Piczo, Bebo and MySpace?


Isn't that why they released Habbo Homes? To try and compete with them?
I'd imagine so?

[krazyhouse]

Yeah ive heard hes taking over from smash as country manager basically.


Maybe i should get a job in AOL and be scouted by Sulake LOL.

[Tristan]

TrueColors that is one of the best alterations I have EVER seen and it's so damn funny. That should go in elites..

It's hardly amazing... Why should it go in elites? :rolleyes:

[Pyroka]

It's hardly amazing... Why should it go in elites? :rolleyes:

Eek ever heard of sarcasm? :S It's a cool one but not elites obviously.. lol.

[---MAD---]

Nice news. +rep

[Zuar]

Thankfully. :rolleyes: Those are two of the most annoying, pointless sites on the whole of the Internet.

All you get is spam off them,
and they ask you for your hotmail pw too.
=/