Primark bucks Facebook trend to rely on fan link

by Gareth Jones, Marketing 14-Nov-07

Primark has ruled out an official Facebook presence amid concerns it would be unable to match the success of an existing unofficial group dedicated to the chain.

The budget fashion retailer says it has no plans to partner with the
social networking site, despite the fact that more than 94,000 users
have joined The Primark Appreciation Society.

The unofficial initiative, created by Oxford Brookes student Sophie

Bellchambers, features 335 photos uploaded by users and more than 340

discussion threads. The forums cover topics including the products,
staff and the store's recent introduction of paper carrier bags.

A spokesman for Primark's parent company, Associated British Foods,
said: 'An independent Facebook group launched by our customers is of far
more value than anything we could do.'

Primark's decision comes just days after Facebook revealed that
marketers created more than 100,000 branded pages globally in the 24
hours following the launch of its advertising system.

Mobile operator O2's branded group has attracted more than 84,000
members.