Chasing Curiosities

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of the Facebook timeline it is a new profile layout that will turn our facebook page into something similar to a scrapbook chronicling one’s online history versus the current focus on the “here and now” of Facebook.  Mashable has posted an article outlining the first movements forward in launching the application.  As of today it has only been launched in New Zealand.  Additionally, Mashable has posted various examples of visually striking timeline profiles.  It will still be awhile until we experience timeline here in The States, however I cannot help but wonder what this layout will mean for brand pages.

Unlike people who nostalgically look back to old holiday photos, family events, and previous life stages, I do not believe the same will work for brands. Brands have failures like any human and while we neglect to post these on Facebook if a brand were to do the same it seems to diminish the transparency expected of brands.  A brand should be highlighting today’s marketing initiatives and products.  However, it does present an opportunity for fantastic ad campaigns of the past to live on.  And considering the differences in brand pages and personal pages on Facebook today, I am hopeful timeline will take these differences into consideration as well.