New Habbo Managing Director (Phil Guest from AOL)

[2hd.]

Articles&Info;
http://www.mad.co.uk/Logon/ArticleLo...1d9ca23a265%26
http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/32125/...+Habbo+UK.html
http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/sto...025488,00.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]]

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