Students stream to new social networking portal

They're registering at a rate of over 800 a day, to create their own personal home pages; upload pics, videos and music; search for friends; create their own communities; take advantage of the free e-mail facility and join the live chat.

"The take-up has been nothing short of incredible," says Student Village managing partner Marc Kornberger. "We currently have over 100 000 registered users, and more than 140 active communities, ranging from an agony aunt to the best in bling to a student entrepreneurs group. Since the re-launch the number of daily visitors has more than doubled - to an average of 3 500 a day - and our monthly impressions have reached the two million mark."

Social networking is hitting the headlines in a big way, as more and more online users worldwide pick a portal, load their profiles and hang out and express themselves. Arguably the most well-known of all the social networking sites is MySpace, which - according to Hitwise, a leading player in the online competitive intelligence space - recently surpassed Yahoo! Mail as the most visited domain on the Internet for US users. Other big social networking players include YouTube, Facebook, Friendster, Xanga, Bebo and Cyworld - to name but a few.

www.studentvillage.co.za, the only local social networking site specifically targeted at students, carries event information, breaking news, celebrity gossip, competitions and details of special offers for students. It also provides links through to Student Village's careers and lifestyle planning site - www.gradx.net - where students can load CVs in their search for the ideal job after graduating. All users may chose to opt in to e-mail and SMS notification platforms when they subscribe.

"Not only is this a new way through which users can interact, it also breaks new ground as far as the ways in which advertisers can reach their target audiences," says Student Village managing director Ronen Aires. "We have already implemented branded communities for Nokia and Smirnoff Spin, with both campaigns offering a highly interactive brand experience and delivering immediate contact with students. This is one more indication of how close we are to our market in terms of being able to effectively communicate with the student population on behalf of our clients."

About Student Village:
Established in 2000, Student Village is a South African leader in marketing solutions aimed at the 18 to 25 year target market, as well as the premier service provider on local campuses across the country.

The company, which recently merged with Graffiti's Student Media division, offers a complete service from conceptualisation to delivery across its clients' entire youth marketing portfolios, using its range of digital, print and on-campus channels to reach and relate to South African students. These interactions are handled in a personal yet professional manner - creating an ever-growing network that extends to those who leave campus and enter the working world.

Student Village's media stable incorporates www.studentvillage.co.za; www.gradX.net, and print publications GradX and Future Leader. It has access to a full range of on-campus promotional platforms, including car branding, table tops, light boxes, billboards, recreational areas, campus radio and TV, and peer-to-peer marketing networks.