Analysis of the consumer reaction to the Ping launch suggests that any new social network must offer something different if it is to break the hold of Twitter and Facebook on the social networking market.
Wavemetrix analysis shows that the consumer reaction to the launch of Ping has generally been negative. This reaction has been led by a feeling that there are already too many social networks competing for consumer’s time and that Ping will not be a useful addition to the market.
Our data shows that a third of consumers who comment on the social network said that they would use the service, based on an opinion that it would be better than rival music based social networks.
- Ping is a social network from Apple that is integrated into iTunes: The 160 million users on iTunes are now able to create a profile in Ping, the social network that was launched by Apple on Wednesday. The network is designed to allow users to share and discover new music
- Users are divided on how useful the new site will be: Some people think that Ping will be “great for those who love discovering new music but don’t have the time” and will make it “easy to find out about album releases and concerts”. Others think that Ping is just a marketing tool to enable Apple to “sell more music through iTunes” and that its social features are “extremely limited”. Users complain that searching for people or artists on the network is “hard work”
- People feel that there are already too many social networks: People say that they “don’t need another social network”. Many complain of social media fatigue. Users say that they are “tired of chasing the social media crowd from platform to platform” and they are “sick of all this social interaction which 90% of the time is just rubbish anyway”. People think that Ping is “redundant” because it doesn’t do anything different from Facebook or Twitter
- Consumers find that Ping is rather limited in scope: People say that Ping is “limited to sharing the contents of iTunes” and it is disappointing that other features have not been added. Users also complain that the music sharing features are restricted to music that is available on iTunes. One person complains that “I can’t share much of my favourite music because I can’t buy it in iTunes”
- Many people lament the lack of integration with other sites: Users say that “Apple missed an opportunity” in not allowing any kind of integration with other social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. One user comments that it is “weird that they didn’t integrate Twitter into the application, when it seems to perform the same function”
- The basic functionality of the site is not popular with users: People complain about the usability of Ping. Many users say that the network has been “rushed out” and that is has a number of clear flaws. Consumers comment about problems with the sign up feature, problems finding friends and design issues with the user profile pages. One user comments that “finding friends is a dicey prospect, so far I have had no results”
- The iTunes user base is seen as a key strength of the network: Many users comment that Ping has “a great chance of being a success” because Apple has “a huge customer base that is interested in sharing music”
Analysis by WaveMetrix social media monitoring reveals a high level of consumer inertia when it comes to social networking habits:
- Most people say that they will not use Ping because they are already signed up to enough social networks: Users say that “there is no way that I am joining yet another social network”. One comments that “I have no room for another social network, especially one that is restricted to only sharing the content that Apple deems relevant”
- Around a third of consumers who discuss Ping say they will use the service, as it will be the “best way to discover new music”: People who indicate an intention to use Ping say it will “shape how people interact and discover music”. Users say that “there really isn’t a good social network for music” because MySpace has become “stagnant” and last.fm “lacks vibrancy”
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