FACEBOOK OR THE "BOOK OF FACES" AS A DATABASE FOR CUSTOMER PROFILES, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

When they are online, Facebook users themselves voluntarily enter and update information about themselves, their family members and friends. Facebook as "an open and always available Book of Faces" can be observed as an updated database of consumers' and companies' behaviour. Companies can use Facebook database ("Book of Faces") in order to do research into consumer behaviour, customer relationship marketing (CRM), marketing communications and applications. Companies may carry out their personalised communications with their fans in real time, as well as initiate communications between their fans and the creation of the user generated content (UGC) about the company (by uploading positive comments, photos and so on). On the basis of Facebook applications, companies inform their fans and other interested users on Facebook about their products and events, encourage the engagement of fans (e.g. by organizing sweepstakes) for the purpose of creating the UGC and viral communications.