Hi5, a social networking website founded in 2003, faces challenges in distinguishing itself from competitors like Facebook, particularly in the U.S. market where it has minimal presence despite being popular globally. The company aims to enhance brand awareness and user engagement through strategic partnerships and recommendations to open international offices for better differentiation and growth.

1. Elena Baranovsky Stephanie Fryer Stephen Giusti Sandy Coloma

2. Agenda Company Background Company Problem External Environment Analysis Strategic Analysis Recommendations

3. Company Background Social network website, similar to Facebook & Myspace Ramu Yalamanchi, founded the company in 2003 Headquarters are located in San Francisco, CA Ranked in the top 20 global websites Number one social network in over 30 countries, such as Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa

5. Company Background Cont. Features include: creating a profile, requesting/accepting friends, sharing comments and private messages. Allows you to post and view photos of people. Great source of networking Good way to keep in touch with people all over the world.

7. Problem Hi5 does not differentiate itself from its competitors It is mostly recognized outside of the U.S There is only one physical location, San Francisco, CA

8. External Environmental Analysis Opportunities Technology New way of communication. Internet is global New market with only few competitors. Users would continue grow globally. Not many laws to prevent sharing of information of the users to our clients. Threats Technology New entrance is high High bargaining power of suppliers. High barging power of buyers. of buyers Rivalry among competing Privacy issues are being addressed that would affect our freedom of shared information.

9. Internal Environmental Analysis Strengths First movers advance in many countries. More than 80 million people registered Nearly 46 million unique users per month. Diversity of users. Alexa® ranks us as a top 20 website globally. 1 st social network in over 30 countries Operates PostgreSQL Friendly use. Weakness No too popular in the Unite State. Facebook is growing faster globally. Competency is growing rapidly. Technology growing very fast, hard to keep up. Still a young growing market, Hi5 social networking still have needs to develop to satisfied its market. Only one physical location

10. Hi5 Business Level Strategy Integrated Cost Leadership/Differentiation (sort of) Sell ad space - Targeted display banners - Media placements - Sponsorships Sell “Glitters” ( hi5’s glittering gold by Taylor Buley) - Home page designs and digital gifts Sell to both large and small markets

11. Hi5 Corporate Level Strategy Low Levels of Diversification - Dominant business model Most revenue come from selling ad space Also sell “Glitters”

12. Hi5 International Strategy International Business Level - Headquarters in San Francisco ~No physical presence anywhere else ~Use telecommunications and the Internet Multi-domestic Strategy - Create websites for individual segments Work with local communities ( Social Networking Sites Going Global by Jon Swartz)

13. Hi5 Cooperative Strategy Competition Response Strategy - Hired Horn Group, Inc. - Increase brand awareness in U.S. ( Horn Group to help hi5 in US by Aarti Shah) Partnerships - Enterprise DB – provide enterprise class products and services (enterprisedb.com) - Paymo, Inc. – provides direct user payment through mobile phones ( hi5 Networks, Inc. from BusinessWeek.com)

14. Hi5 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Built in music player First to use “Glitter” digital gifts First to use OpenSocial 0.8 ( hi5 Networks, Inc. from BusinessWeek.com) - Social platform used for making apps - Allows users to make apps through hi5

15. Recommendations Differentiate and Create Awareness in the US. Out of their 63 million users only 3.7 million come from the US This is due to lack of advertising. Allow for more personality and uniqueness. Need to amp their entertainment features. Focus on their international qualities.

16. Recommendations Cont. Open up offices internationally Currently one office in San Francisco. This would be a long term recommendation. Opening up more offices would allow for differentiation. - Combine and update concepts.

17. Citations BusinessWeek. (2009). hi5 Networks, Inc. Retrieved March 31, 2009, from BusinessWeek.com Web site: http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp? privcapId=35787531 (5/2/09) Buley, Taylor. (2009, March 16). hi5’s glittering gold. Retrieved March 31, 2009, from Forbes.com. Web site: http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/16/hi5-social-networking-technology- internet-hi5.htm (5/1/09) EnterpriseDB. (2009). Hi5 Networks selects EnterpriseDB to support one of the world’s largest PostgreSQL installations. Retrieved March 31, 2009, from EnterpriseDB.com Web site: http://www.enterprisedb.com/company/news_events/press_releases/ 2008_22.do (5/1/09) Shah, Aarti. (2008, August 11). Horn Group to help hi5 in US. PR Week (US), p. 3. Retrieved from LexisNexis database. (4/30/09) Swartz, Jon. (2008, February 11). Social-networking sites going global; Asia, Europe sites draw Users at faster rates than USA. USA Today, p. 10A. Retrieved from LexisNexis database (4/30/09) Vara, Vauhini. (2006, October 2). MySpace has large circle of friend, but rivals’ cliques are growing too. The Wall Street Journal, p.B1. Retrieved from Factiva database. (5/2/09)