As more & more businesses grasp the possibilities of Web 2.0, the ways in which they use it to interact with their users (or customers as they used to be known) becomes ever more varied.

An interesting example of this is the famous British men’s hairstyling brand Brylcreem. To publicise their new range ‘b: from Brylcreem’, they have launched a competition to find the man who best epitomises their brand’s qualities of effortless coolness. The interesting part comes from the fact that the whole competition is being run from a MySpace page, and centres on user generated content.

Users are encouraged to upload a video to the MySpace page, which shows them doing something ‘effortless’, whether it’s a cool card trick, an amazing piece of dexterity, or whatever. And the winner of the competition will then receive £10,000 and will star in a Brylcreem ad (the 2nd & 3rd place entrants will get £5,000 & £2,000 respectively so it’s definitely worth entering).

We’re working with Brylcreem on this project and we’re really excited about it. By opening up the competition to the people who actually use the brand, and by giving them something back in return (online exposure, a chance to get on to TV without the indignity of reality TV & £10,000 in to the bargain), Brylcreem have shown a great understanding of the potential that Web 2.0 offers.

I only wish that I was a) eligible to enter & b) cool enough to stand any chance of winning!

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