SURF’S UP

The success of Facebook may be the talk of the town, says David Crow, but a number of serious competitors are catching up fast

For the wealthiest members of society, social networking is viewed with deep suspicion. If the average consumer worries about the privacy and security of a site like Facebook, it is easy to understand the heightened concerns of a millionaire. When an A-list celebrity joins a popular network they are inundated with hundreds of bogus friend requests; casually mentioning a lunch date is sure to guarantee the attendance of the paparazzi.

That’s why Erik Wachtmeister, a Swedish banker, launched aSmallWorld, a digital gated community where only the most exclusive can join. Since it launched in 2004, the site has clocked up 300,000 users whose identities are kept strictly private, although various A-list celebrities, fashion models and millionaires are understood to be members. The user base is a drop in the ocean compared to the millions who frequent sites like Facebook. But this hand-picked community – people can join by invitation only – is coveted by advertisers.

ASmallWorld is an attractive proposition for ultra high-end luxury brands, which would waste money advertising on mass-appeal sites. It gives them the rare opportunity to access the richest web users, although promotions need to be tasteful and restrained; those who abuse or irritate the community are asked to leave. For firms wanting access, space doesn’t come cheap: advertisers spend an average $20,000 to $50,000 a month.

Although the site’s membership may have doubled in the last year, this has caused inevitable digital grumbling from original members, concerned that the community is being hijacked by undesirable new additions. For new chief executive Joe Robinson, a former board member at Fox Interactive, the hardest task will be growing the community while maintaining its exclusivity.