Samsung Mobile U.K. has formed a strategic partnership with social networking site Bebo, which will include the launch of live music events, a new music show on Bebo and Samsung content on Bebo’s music homepage.
Starting with an event on June 1 featuring new U.K. rock acts White Lies and the Maccabees, “Samsung Bebo Nights Live at the Gibson Guitar Studio” will be Bebo’s first foray into live music and will take place at the Gibson Guitar show rooms in London. The events are open to Bebo users and Samsung consumers; the deal covers eight monthly events.
“Beat,” a new online music show hosted by the Bebo platform, will launch on June 19. Created and produced by global production company Endemol, the weekday show will be regularly updated with news, performances, interviews and competitions focusing on up-and-coming music talent. The show will be fully interactive, with Bebo users able to discuss, share and review content on the site.
As well as Samsung content on Bebo’s homepage, the social networking site will host a Samsung profile page (www.bebo.com/samsungsoundmatters).
In a company statement, Samsung U.K. marketing director, Mikah Martin-Cruz said, “The scale of this partnership is a first for Samsung and is testament to how seriously we take social networking and the need to pioneer new ways of engaging our core audiences. We will work closely with Bebo, the music industry and our network partners to use these platforms to build closer artist-fan relationships.”
“By coming together, Bebo and Samsung are able to combine great music content with powerful social networking tools, enabling fans to converse and connect around the music and artists that they love in a meaningful way,” added Kate Burns, Bebo’s VP and managing director Europe. “Great editorial, combined with live events especially for Bebo users, will create a powerful and engaging combination of content and community, enabling us to penetrate the conversation in both the online and offline worlds of our users.”
The partnership is in line with Samsung’s long-term commitment to music, coinciding with the launch of the Samsung Beat DJ handset and including initiatives such as the Samsung NME Radar tour.
Owned by AOL, Bebo currently has over ten million users each month in the U.K. and Ireland, while globally the site has more than 27 million unique visitors a month, according to comScore Media Metrix data for March 2009.
