Is Tiny Tower Breaking Facebook Rules?
ONCE UPON A TIME…
For those of you who haven’t been following my tweets in the past few weeks, let me get you up to speed: I have recently joined a club I have termed “The #TinyTowerAddicts.”
It’s not a prestigious club; in fact, anyone can join. But it’s a dangerous club to be a part of. As you can see by its name, Tiny Tower, a newly released iPhone app, is incredibly addictive. Employing just the right mix of fun, strategy and gaming practices, you’re instantly hooked and find yourself staying up late to play. And I’ve seen its addiction spreading like wildfire, through my social networks and beyond.
This is - sadly (but also funnily) - not the only text or tweet of this kind that's been sent to me.
So it came as no surprise that with such incredible growth, NimbleBit – the makers of Tiny Tower – decided to strike while the iron was hot and find a way to monazite their large database of users. Their first stop? Somehow convert their players into fans of their Facebook page. So they decided to do this:
"Like" Their Page
Now, I work a lot with my clients on Facebook strategies. And this screamed, “RED FLAG! RED FLAG!” to me in regards to breaking Facebook’s rules.
IS THIS AGAINST FACEBOOK’S POLICIES?
We’re consistently told over and over from our Facebook reps that a Facebook Page cannot incite liking (or any other “authentic action”) as it’s against Facebook rules and regulations. Which is fair: They’re trying to keep those authentic actions a user may do out of pure self-interest as credible as possible (these actions may include: liking a page, writing on the page’s wall, commenting on a status update, liking a status, inviting their friends to “like” a page, etc.).
Tiny Tower launched their “Like our Page in Exchange for Bux” campaign two days ago and already their Facebook Page has over 152,000 fans. That’s a spicy meatball!
And so I’m trying to figure out if this is against Facebook policies or not, because I’m curious on both a personal and professional level. On one hand, yes, I would very much consider this incenting a user to perform an action on Facebook that Facebook would deem “authentic.”
On the other hand, I don’t believe there’s a way NimbleBit could actually track that a user has clicked “Like” on their Facebook page, as there isn’t currently a way the user’s Tiny Tower game is connected to their Facebook account. So it’s more like a very false condition presented (which might be worse?) as I’m assuming if you click “Visit Page” your game is automatically credited the 3 Bux. [If you are smarter than me in the ways of the internet, folks, please feel free to correct me on this paragraph.] So it’s not an actual requirement the user likes the page to be rewarded.
Or if the initial contact regarding the incenting or the reward of the action takes place off Facebook, does this even count?
I’ve gone through the Facebook Ad Guidelines, their Pages Terms, and their Promotion Guidelines and can’t find nary a word on this supposed incenting a user to “like” a page. So perhaps we’ve been misinformed?
SIDE NOTE TIME:
NimbleBit is hitting it fast and hard. Just today they launched what appears to be their first partnership with Apple in which users are rewarded with checking out Harry Potter content on iTunes in exchange for more Tiny Tower Bux. I believe it when I say us #TinyTowerAddicts will soon be seeing bigger and better partnerships coming our way within our game. Should be interesting.
Harreh Potteh
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
So back to the question at hand: I would love your input on this. Do you think this is against Facebook policies? Or is this well within the realm of allowable promotions? Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
EDITED TO ADD ON JULY 17, 2011
My source at Facebook has confirmed that the above Facebook “liking” campaign run by Tiny Tower is in direct violation of their promotions policy. So that’s the answer to my question, then. Not that Facebook seems to do anything to those who break the rules – but that’s a whole other blog post.
That Sean guy sounds like a total dope.
Also, didn’t Angry Birds reward users for liking them on Facebook by having that unlock new levels or some other bonus? I’m pretty sure one of the version of Angry Birds did something like this.
That Sean guy IS a total dope!
Did they? I don’t play Angry Birds so I’m not sure. But was it like, “If we get to 50k fans, we’ll unlock a new level”? Because that’d be legit, yo. But it if was, “click here to like us and get a new level” that’s more in line with my question here.
That Sean guy IS a total dope!
Did they? I don’t play Angry Birds so I’m not sure. But was it like, “If we get to 50k fans, we’ll unlock a new level”? Because that’d be legit, yo. But it if was, “click here to like us and get a new level” that’s more in line with my question here.
What is tiny tower? Is it for tiny redheads? Goddam daywalkers
Yes, for tiny redheads only.
Yes, for tiny redheads only.
MAN! Those are some sexy screenshots!
Totes! Thanks again :)
Totes! Thanks again :)
It’s not illegal under the newly revised Promo Guidelines, as now they’re only concerns about comps as a function of either skill or chance – though, you’re right, it credits you with your 3 bux regardless of what you do.
Hey Dan – thanks for the comment. Super helpful! When did these revised Promo Guidelines go into effect? So this means that that someone could say, if you like our page, we will credit you xx point to your loyalty card. Say for a Shopper’s or something. This is now allowable?
Hey Dan – thanks for the comment. Super helpful! When did these revised Promo Guidelines go into effect? So this means that that someone could say, if you like our page, we will credit you xx point to your loyalty card. Say for a Shopper’s or something. This is now allowable?
I really doubt liking their Facebook page could possibly be picked up by the app, so you must get the bux regardless. That said, I actually tried to “check out harry potter”, and not only did the link fail, I also didn’t get my bux. Ripped off!
Also, don’t be thinking this is the only way NimbleBit is monetizing their fans. They’re currently the number 1 grossing app on the App Store…many many bux are being bought with real bux!
As to your question – well this is only a gut feeling, but I doubt there’s a current policy forbidding it. If there is, I think you’d be hard pressed not to find a single organization who hasn’t asked for a “like” in some way or another…
Totally ripped off! What happened when you clicked it? Did it just not load?
Oh yes, yes. Sorry, I guess I meant monetizing outside their app with outside partners. Obviously, people are spending some real money here on Tiny Tower!
For me, it’s just annoying because we try to get out clients to play by the rules so we don’t get shut down, and then the competitor goes off and does something with no hand slap from Facebook. So why even bother? Facebook needs to regulate a little bit better, though I understand the position they’re in as there’s just SO MANY brands out there on Facebook.
Tough position to be in. Rather than regulating better, it sounds FB just need to be clearer on their policies. At least then you can put the decision back on the client – “here’s the rules, if you want to flaunt them then ok, but at your own risk”. Happens to me all the time, clients wanting stuff which is clearly disallowed by Apple, but they go ahead with it anyway – and unfortunately most of the time the apps still get approved.
Yes, and we’ve done that with clients before. Ultimately, it’s their call; if they want to face the consequences for violating policy, we can only advise them on what might or might not happen.
It is unfortunate too when other brands get away with stuff – makes our job harder because we hear a lot of, “But so and so did it and now look at how many fans they have!” I’m a good person, I enjoy following rules, and I tend to dislike very much when others get away with breaking said rules. It’s a personal pet peeve of mine.
Totally ripped off! What happened when you clicked it? Did it just not load?
Oh yes, yes. Sorry, I guess I meant monetizing outside their app with outside partners. Obviously, people are spending some real money here on Tiny Tower!
For me, it’s just annoying because we try to get out clients to play by the rules so we don’t get shut down, and then the competitor goes off and does something with no hand slap from Facebook. So why even bother? Facebook needs to regulate a little bit better, though I understand the position they’re in as there’s just SO MANY brands out there on Facebook.
I think any rule can be broken for the right price.
”find a way to monazite their large database of users”
I hate getting monazited… it hurts :(
But cool article – among many cool articles.
Thanks Col!
seems fair enough to me.. you’re playing the game and clearly 99% of people who read that message are liking it… nimble bit are not asking you to pretend you like it, just incentivizing our lazy butts into action!
they are not ‘inciting linking’ – you like it already…
Hey Perky - Thanks so much for your comment! Liking, referring to the action of clicking “LIKE” on a Facebook page, not the act of preferring something.
Hi Emma, first time here and love this piece (and the UI/design on your blog).. stumbled here from a Google search for NimbleBit while trying to send them a feature suggestion for Tiny Tower. I’m an addict, but haven’t yet received the aforementioned FB “Like” invitation/3-bux offer, nor have I yet received the Apple offer. I did however notice an overwhelming increase in children’s-related-app-downloads-for-bux offers lately, whereas I was previously offered song-downloads much more often.
I have noticed that the trigger to add the offered bux to your bank is as you said, clicking “yes” or “download”, and not actually tied to performing the action afterwards. I click yes on every kids game offered, and subsequently used to delete them but soon realized I didn’t even have to complete the download/installation from the App store to get the bux.As the owner of a small IT business in Los Angeles, I too am incredibly interested in the process by which this in-app offer/purchase occurs as well as the legal/contractual obligations & constrictions. Also as a musician, I am extremely interested in these offers from a marketing level and even considered contacting the company to inquire about rates for my own band [shameless plug alert! http://www.anthemofsilence.com. I'm finding more and more than until all the fine print and legislation gets worked out, it really is like the Wild West at a lot of "places" online, and my takeaway is that small businesses (musicians & artists included here) have two options: 1. Stake your claims and fight hard, trying to be in as many places as possible or 2. Slow and steady in a smaller number of places with a stronger focus on maintaining a presence in your local community/neighborhood. Either way, I think smaller businesses come out ahead [...but good luck on #1 without a good publici$t or a *lot* of time to be on computer]; Internet companies like Facebook, Groupon, and MySpace before them have hyper-inflated real “value” and extreme reach, but their waves crash faster and more frequently than traditional (nonline) companies.
Thanks again for the forum Emma!
/adamFischer|
computersWTF