Netlog Corporate Blog

If you’re planning on visiting the OMD’08 conference, don’t hesitate to get in touch. After witnessing the smooth organization and interesting topics last year, we felt Netlog can’t be absent on this year’s online-marketing-düsseldorf. If you’re looking for a refreshing talk while crossing the 36.000m2 large exhibition area, just go to Hall 11, booth 11H52 to meet with Netlog’s busdev team. Also both our founders confirmed their presence! We’ll all be available to discuss partnerships or demonstrate the Netlog site. Unfortunately we can’t invite all of our 3 million German speaking members, but we do have some entrance tickets available for commercial partners of Netlog! Feel free to contact Leen to make an appointment on OMD.

Over the last few months as we have successfully introduced the “brand integration” platform to all of our 19 Netlog sites, more and more brand owners are coming to recognize Netlog as the best and most efficient tool for communicating with the European youth. As you can see by some of the following examples, our brand integration platform has proven both engaging and far-reaching.

Germany & Switzerland:
Michel Power, Coffeeberry
France:
Disneyland Paris - Tour de la Terreur
Belgium:
The Simpsons Movie
Samsung Soul
Coca Cola, Kissypuppy campaign
Portugal:
Universal Studios, “The Mummy an the Tomb of The Dragon Emperor”

Activity and responses to these pages has been very high and clearly show that they have been well received by a wide variety of young Netlog users. Young members are extremely motivated to add the brand as a friend, copy the skin/content/application to their profile page, leave comments in the guestbook, and share their “branded” experience with their friends.
On the other side of the playing field, brand owners were very impressed with the overwhelming results of a campaign which was launched in such a short time frame. By using the friends/views counter on their page, owners were able to observe how quickly they could reach Netlog users and “recruit” them as long-lasting, loyal advocates for their brand.

In Belgium, we were also able to get several bands, DJs and festival organizers on board.
10daysoff
The Subs
Antilliaanse Feesten
I Love the 90’s

The fantastic activity seen here between performers and fans clearly showcases the incredible communication possibilities which Netlog can offer.

So, based on all of the positive feedback we have seen from all of these ‘Pages’, we have decided to relaunch them into three distinct categories: ‘Brands‘, ‘Music‘, and ‘Groups‘. Each category will be characterized by unique and specific features. Furthermore, we are going to promote them in all languages.
In addition to the relaunch of the ‘Pages’, we will be promoting a new tool which will automate the registration of local pages. Using this tool, every organization, band, artist, DJ will be able sign up, manage and personalize their own ‘Brand’, ‘Music’, or ‘Group’ page via the site.

Keep on eye on the news section on the homepage! We will announce this new tool shortly!

Netlog - the leading European social portal - has been temporarily unavailable due to a power outage in the LCL datacenter in Diegem. Unfortunately the backup power supplies were overloaded and failed as well.

Netlog has more than 1.000 servers, spread across different datacentres around Brussels. The power outage problem is now solved, however the databases have been damaged because of this unanticipated event. Netlog expects them to be recovered tonight by 8pm (CET).

Netlog has no control over the power supplies in the LCL datacentre. Nevertheless, they decided to call for a mobile generator, powered by Power Solutions (based in Wilrijk) that arrived around midnight (31st March/1st April). Sadly, LCL datacentre is still unable to provide backup power supplies. The power is only temporarily fixed.
Netlog would like to apologize to its 34 million European, in particular the 2 million Belgian and 1 million Dutch members who had to wait the most. ‘The technical team has been working around the clock and is doing everything in their power to bring the site back online in its best shape as soon as possible’, says Lorenz Bogaert, Netlog’s CEO. ‘We will do all that is necessary to prevent such situations in the future, but we want to stress that this outage was out of our control.’
Netlog wasn’t the only unavailable website during this time. Nevertheless its absence has definitely been the most significant as, with 25 million pageviews per day, Netlog is the most visited internet webpage in Belgium.

To help kick off 2008, we are thrilled to announce that different European media have picked up Netlog this week.

Yesterday the Belgian Radio and Television Network, VRT featured Netlog in the news. The topic included an interview with the founders, Toon Coppens and Lorenz Bogaert, and also two enthusiastic Netlog sisters, who motivate why they are so fond of our social network.

Earlier this week, the German television ZDF and newspaper Handelsblatt highlighted Netlog. The bimonthly paper for internet professionals ‘Internet World Business’ included Netlog in a piece on social networking site statistics.

Even more, Netlog won an award issued by the renomated Mashable!, the world’s largest blog on social networking. The ceremony is tonight and will take place in San Francisco.

During the last days of 2007, Netlog was also awarded the ‘Web Site of the Year Award‘ as best community site in Italy, the UK, France, Germany and Spain.

Over a quarter of a million readers from 30 renowned blog sites such as Mashable!, Blognation, Alarm:Clock and Social Networking Watch have nominated and voted Netlog as winner of the Open Web Award in the category Mainstream and Large Social Networks. The award ceremony will take place in San Francisco on January 10th. The first ever Open Web Awards were organized by Mashable!, the world’s largest blog on social networking and sponsored by Wired, the world’s leading technology and innovation magazine.
Earlier this month Netlog also was awarded the Web Site of the Year Award as best community site in Italy, the UK, France, Germany and Spain.

The winners of the European competition ‘Site of the Year 2007’ - the most important election of public and professional websites – were revealed yesterday. Every year this survey is organized by Metrixlab in 9 European countries, and contestants are reviewed on content, navigation and design. Netlog won the award for Community of the Year in no less than 5 countries: Germany, France, Spain, UK and in Italy (more details below)!

It is highly unique for a community site to win in as many European countries. We can proudly say this demonstrates the flexiblity in which Netlog leaps language barriers. And even more important in the end, it shows how 30 million happy Netlog members recognize our efforts. These awards highlight the growing importance of social communities in the day-to-day life of youngsters in Europe and the rest of the world.

• UK: Best Community Site
• Germany: Beliebteste Communities Seite
• France: Meilleur site communautaire
• Spain: Mejor página de Comunidades
• Italy: Il sito più popolare per le comunità