The University of Kentucky has adopted Facebook Places for a marketing campaign encouraging undergraduate recruitment.
Advertising Age reports that the southern college is encouraging students to check-in to Facebook Places while on campus. The university has planted giant, wooden pointers – like the tab that marks the map in the Facebook Places logo except in the university’s signature blue – around the campus as a reminder.
The thinking is that college students will check in and their high-school friends will see the updates on Facebook, helping to boost recruitment efforts. The campaign was designed by Lexington-based ad agency Cornett-IMS and did not involve Facebook.
Marketing director Kelley Bozeman said the university did think about privacy. “But this is about check-ins during the day, when you’re on campus, in the classrooms and going to athletic events,” she said. “Adults use good judgment. It’s not about checking in at home.”
It seems like a clever marketing campaign that could well reach the target audience with the right message. However, I can’t dismiss the privacy concerns quite so easily. Incidents of sexual assault and date rape are already high enough on university campuses, especially when combined with drinking, whether underage or not. Students might be adults but that doesn’t mean they always have good judgment – they are still finding their way in life. I think it would be very easy for an 18-year-old to put too much information about their location data out there and simultaneously become Facebook friends with too many people. This sort of data in the wrong hands could easily encourage stalker-like behavior.
I think Places is a great tool and the University of Kentucky can use it for a fun and effective marketing campaign. It’s just if they are going to encourage students to use Places, they bear some responsibility too. I hope that college staff are putting sufficient effort into educating students about how to use Places safely and also focusing sufficiently on campus safety more generally.
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There is no school called Kentucky University. Perhaps you mean University of Kentucky?
Comment by Emily — September 7, 2010 @ 6:02 pm
@Emily The story refers to it as University of Kentucky. I guess it was abbreviated for the headline. This is common practice and not incorrect.
Comment by Caitlin Fitzsimmons — September 8, 2010 @ 10:07 am
I think that it is a good idea. This is simply because even though the writer clearly has concerns of privacy and campus crime, it should also be noted that the University is not responsible for the student's action. An action is taken by an individual. If they commit a crime, they commit a crime.
It is not up to the school to regulate the behaviour of a student if they are entrusted by their parents to leave home and go to school. Drinking is irrelevant in this case and makes no difference one way or another. If a student is drinking and going to class, it's on their own time.
If a student wants more Facebook privacy, they can opt out of it and not use Facebook Places. It's simple.
Comment by Andrew Markle — September 9, 2010 @ 11:11 am
Of course students are ultimately responsible for their own actions. Equally, criminals are responsible for their crimes, regardless of the actions of their victims. I'm not claiming otherwise.
However, that doesn't mean that universities don't have a role to play in campus safety and they can make a big difference by encouraging certain behaviors and discouraging others. (Note the word 'encouraging' rather than 'banning' or 'mandating' – it's still the students' choice). I'm sure that the University of Kentucky is quite conscious of this fact and wouldn't deny it. The same would apply to work places or any other institution.
By the way, i's nothing whatsoever to do with students being trusted by their parents – we're talking about adults after all.
Comment by Caitlin Fitzsimmons — September 10, 2010 @ 1:32 pm
I just wanted to elaborate on the proactive steps the university is taking to educate the campus. To compliment these giant Facebook Places icons across campus, they have added decals to entrances of those buildings and posters within those walls to direct people to http://www.uky.edu/facebook/ for more information about Privacy and Tagging. By embracing and educating, these informational elements will help encourage best practices so everyone is aware of their options when sharing content online.
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Comment by gadget | technology — November 16, 2011 @ 8:57 am
It is not up to the school to regulate the behaviour of a student if they are entrusted by their parents to leave home and go to school. Drinking is irrelevant in this case and makes no difference one way or another. If a student is drinking and going to class, it's on their own time.
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