Lauren Shapiro*

There is no doubt that celebrities play a huge part in the advancement of brands, whether appearing in social media, TV and print ads, or generally endorsing a product or company.

Celebrities are written about everyday and provide us all with water cooler fodder and their involvement in any organization is shouted from the rooftops in hopes of seeing more articles and blog posts publicizing said organization. PR firms release press releases, photo-ops are staged and having a celebrity as the face of your company draws more attention than ever.

After purchasing MySpace for $35 million, Specific Media announced that singer, dancer, actor (and now business tycoon) Justin Timberlake would be both “part owner and creative force” for the newly purchased social network, according to an article on MTV.com. Although Timberlake’s role in the rebranding of MySpace is interesting news, how much authority will he truly have?  Will Timberlake be a true partner or merely a celebrity spokesman?

Timberlake has yet to make any official announcements about the rebirth of MySpace. (We’ll all have to wait until August 17, 2011 for that…) But if early buzz is any indication, he may well be on his way to revamping the one-time social media giant to “be what it should have been,” Timberlake remarks during a recent interview. Early reports suggest that he is “considering a talent competition as one way to breathe life into MySpace,” explains Johnny Wright, Timberlake’s manager, in this CBS News article.

“There’s a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect. Myspace has the potential to be that place,” says Timberlake in this press release. “Art is inspired by people and vice versa, so there’s a natural social component to entertainment. I’m excited to help revitalize MySpace by using its social media platform to bring artists and fans together in one community.”

In some ways it makes sense to start the rebranding process with a part owner/celebrity who is highly regarded in the music industry, especially when a social media site such as MySpace has long been associated with music and entertainment. But let’s remember, as some comments (like those left on this Gothamist post) suggest, playing a role in The Social Network and actually leading one are two vastly different things.

Still, it will be interesting to see how much authority Specific Media really gives to Timberlake long term and whether this latest acquisition will spark a new trend of celebrity-partnered social media sites.

Do you think Timberlake will be able to help steer MySpace in a new (and hopefully successful) direction? And what features would you like to see on the site? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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*Bio: Soon after graduating from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, in 2006 with a B.A. in communication and a B.S. in business/marketing, I joined the BurrellesLuce client services team. In 2008, I completed my master’s degree in corporate and organizational communications and now serve as Director of Client Services. I am passionate about researching and understanding the role of email in shaping relationships from a client relation/service standpoint as well as how miscommunication occurs within email, which was the topic of my thesis. Through my posts on Fresh Ideas, I hope to educate and stimulate thoughtful discussions about corporate communications and client relations, further my own knowledge on this subject area, as well as continue to hone my skills as a communicator. Twitter: @_LaurenShapiro_ LinkedIn: laurenrshapiro Facebook: BurrellesLuce