MySpace, Chief Product Officer May Part Ways

A high-ranking MySpace executive might be ready to depart, according to a new report.  Rumor has it that Chief Product Officer Jason Hirschhorn, who's been with the company for less than a year, is making his way towards the exit.

This story appears to deserve some heavy disclaimers; since it began to spread, Hirschhorn wrote on his MySpace page, "i love fiction," and classified his mood as "amused."

He also linked to a clip of Philip Seymour Hoffman lecturing about gossip (as Father Flynn in the movie Doubt) from both his MySpace and Twitter accounts.

Still, more than a few people have indicated that the exec is parting ways with MySpace.  Jason Kincaid, who's generally quite reliable, reported last night, "Jason Hirschhorn will soon be leaving the company, we've heard from multiple sources."

Perhaps it's just a later conjecture - "the real problem may have been a lack of chemistry between Hirschhorn and his fellow executives" - to which Hirschhorn objects.

Anyway, there's no word on exactly when Hirschhorn could leave MySpace, or who will replace him as Chief Product Officer (a position reporting to CEO Owen Van Natta) if he does.

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MySpace To Host Exclusive Stream Of “New Moon” Red Carpet

Don't be surprised if MySpace experiences a big traffic spike on Monday, November 16th.  The social network intends to host a live stream of red carpet arrivals at the world premiere of The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

In one sense, this could have been something of a cheap trick; it's a good bet that boatloads of young girls would tune in even if they could only catch a glimpse of Robert Pattinson and listen to a random correspondent babble.  MySpace is demonstrating its influence and taking things quite a bit further, though, offering fans an exclusive experience.

According to an official statement emailed to WebProNews, "Viewers will . . . be able to take part by posting comments or questions to The Twilight Saga: New Moon Premiere MySpace page that may then be presented to the celebrities during the broadcast."

What's more, "Anya Marina, writer and performer of 'Satellite Heart' on The Twilight Saga: New Moon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, will co-host the broadcast."

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Trailer and Premiere Announcement New Moon Premiere | MySpace Video

So consider passing word of the event along to any relatives or friends who are Twilight fans.  And with respect to what sort of traffic numbers MySpace might see, it should interest even the franchise's biggest detractors to know that the New Moon trailer received a whopping 4.2 million views within 24 hours of its debut on MySpace.

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MySpace Gives Users Offline Marketing Opportunity

MySpace and Titan have partnered to launch a three-week joint promotion to bring MySpace users' messages to over 300 digital screens in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dublin, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, and Birmingham. Titan is the largest transit advertising sales company in the US, and provides advertising on bus, rail, bulletins, telephone kiosks, and street banners.

The promotion is called "Step Up to the Mic," and is designed to let MySpace users in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, share their thoughts with the public in these cities. The two companies are also encouraging celebrities and music artists to take part to promote their "passion projects" and communicate with fans.

"The convergence of social media and digital out-of-home advertising is actually happening as a result of Titan's partnership with MySpace." said Bill Apfelbaum, Chairman of Titan. "The ability to create and connect communities through Titan's digital signs located around the world and the ability for advertisers to interact with and connect with their target audiences on a real-time basis now exists. We are delighted to work with the social media trailblazers, MySpace, in revolutionizing our industry."

"MySpace has continuously provided our users with online and offline capabilities on a global level," said Angela Courtin, SVP of Marketing Entertainment and Content at MySpace. "The project with Titan reaffirms that offering by marrying the world of advertising with socialization and sharing. It enables our users to broadcast themselves in a creative and innovative manner, just as they do on the site."

The promotion certainly provides for an interesting spin on social media marketing. Users can go to the promotion's MySpace page to participate. There is a 50-character and one image limit.