Theory of people.
Communities that create, maintain, and enhance customer relationships.
www.peopletheory.com
People Theory isn't a web site, or an application. It's more like a service – but not quite. PeopleTheory is what we call it when we partner with a client to build a social web application for them, using our Walter framework and our client collaboration process. It allows our clients to leverage our experience and development knowledge to launch social web communities of their own. While the industry is saying that bringing the power of social networking back into your own web properties is the next step, few interactive agencies actually have the skill and experience to execute those changes.
YourSpace
Not long ago, brands, musicians, politicians and celebrities were all tripping over themselves to build a presence on popular social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook. Why not? Nobody wants to miss a party. Unfortunately, the party was at their place, where you have to take your shoes off at the door and they play really horrible emo all the time. Not to mention all the tacky posters hanging everywhere. Savvy businesses quickly realized they might be better off throwing a party of their own.
Not just "white-label"
It didn't take long for a bevy of so-called "white-label" solutions to pop up – pre-fab social networking sites with only basic customization features: Upload a logo here, change a color there. With PeopleTheory the possiblities for customazation are unlimited, both from a design and functionality standpoint. It's not a "one size fits all" product, it's a process that allows us to start with all the capabilities of our Walter social platform framework, and then build (or even remove) functionality from there.
At a glance
For comparison shoppers, let's break it down for you with a quick side-by-side with some of the big "white-label" providers:
| People Theory | Ning | Kick Apps | People Aggregator | Affinity Circles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member profiles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Photo sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blogging | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Discussions / Forums | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Friends | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Friend content updates | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Groups | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tagging | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Community design customization | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Surveys | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Remove platform branding | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Network Privacy Settings | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable roles (Member, Moderator, Admin, etc.) | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Ability to license source code | Yes | No | No | No | No |