Instead of becoming a part of the popular conversation, Wal-Mart created a site that looks like a social network and enables users to create their own pages, submit their own videos to contests sponsored by Sony and "express their personalities" by becoming a Wal-Mart "hubster."
It was a lofty goal, but the execution has online marketing critics up in arms.
The popular consensus is that the site tries too hard to sound like teenagers while heavily restricting content and not permitting any actual social networking. It's not rocket science that teenagers enjoy interacting with other teenagers.
Wal-Mart doesn't seem to mind the criticism and it remains to be seen if it'll impact Wal-Mart's ROI, but this marketing strategy isn't winning points in the tween, teen and young adult popularity contest.
