Nielsen to close social networking site pending relaunch

by Staff, Brand Republic 20-Oct-08, 14:55

NEW YORK - Nielsen is closing its social networking website Hey! Nielsen, where people could discuss and rate television programmes, films and music, and will open a consumer site in its place.

The beta site now carries a message saying: "Next week, Hey! Nielsen as you know it will wind down as we work on a new consumer site.

"We thank you for sharing your passionate opinions with us over the last year. Your feedback was not only insightful, but also a valuable component in several research projects at Nielsen."

Nielsen used the data generated by users, along with data from other Nielsen sites like Billboard.com and HollywoodReporter.com, to give items a 'Hey! Nielsen' score.

The news was met with dismay by many users, commenting on the Hey! Nielsen site. One said: "I was shocked to see that you were taking down this site. I have spent a good deal of time here (daily) in the last five months and met a lot of nice folks from around the world." Another asked: "I don't know the reason, why you will act like this. Did we do anything wrong?"

Others wondered why the original site couldn't continue as it was until the new Hey! Nielsen was launched.

However, the moderator assured them that Nielsen would be in touch when the new site goes live and that all participants would be welcome back.