Why let students visit you in their mall when you can build your own across town!

So I was talking with a friend about a new product that just came out that allows schools to build social networks for their prospects. My friend, apparently feeling a bit punchy today, sent them an email asking them why he couldn't just use MySpace or Facebook. Here is the reply:

Good question! The idea behind it is to engage in the conversation in your own space (or on your own turf!).

In a lot of ways, having your own social network versus using Facebook or Myspace is the internet equivalent of inviting students to campus to chat with you versus hanging out at the mall.

It's not that it can't be done, but there is a perception among Millenial students that those networks are, in fact, their space, and you don't necessarily belong there.

Not that they don't want to talk to you; they just don't always want to do it in that arena.

Also, technically speaking, both Facebook and Myspace have some distinct institutional disadvantages. Facebook, which is a little more institution friendly, is also very Spartan: there is not a lot of branding opportunity available. Myspace, which is much more brandable, is not very institution friendly. So we're covering the middle-ground design-wise by giving you a cleanly transitioning, customized design (based on your existing web brand).

In the end, the goal is not to drive students away from other social networks on to yours or to keep them from talking about you on other networks (the fact is, they'll always be having side conversations about your school). The goal is to provide an opportunity for you to greet students at your front door, rather than the places they hang out.

My question is why would you want to force a student to take an extra step to contact you by creating yet another social networking account (like they don't have enough already!) when they are already on MySpace and Facebook?  I mean, we have to acknowledge that there is a huge difference between renting a store in the mall and opening it up to everyone and accosting mall shoppers against their will and forcing information upon them.  When I was in admissions, I found that students were more than open to talking with admissions staff on either site....as long as you kept your distance and allowed them to come to you.  If they aren't going to come into your store to shop in their usual mall, why the heck would they bother trudging across town to visit another mall to shop in your store there?  

I don't know....I think this venture is misguided on the part of the company.  Don't get me wrong - I think they'll make money off it.  I just think schools that pay for it would be better off spending that money elsewhere.