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Microsoft, Sony Ericsson launch online sponsored space in India
MUMBAI: Microsoft today announced the introduction of Sponsored Spaces across the region, including in India.
Sponsored Spaces is a new ad platform that allows advertisers to immerse themselves in the social networking scene and communicate and engage directly with consumers. Sony Ericsson launched www.sharethereallife.spaces.live.com for community-based advertising on 4 June as a core element of an integrated marketing campaign to launch its new K810i handset. The site has advertisers keeping information and content fresh so that consumers can get regular updates. |
“The blogosphere is exploding in popularity in Asia and advertisers are eager to reach out to this group of opinion leaders and influencer customers” commented Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions head of multinational sales, Asia Karen Chia. “With the introduction of Sponsored Spaces, advertisers will now be able to quickly set up a social networking platform, maximize interaction with their customers, and tap into the large community of people on the Windows Live network.” Designed with the easy-to-buy, easy-to-sell approach that Microsoft brings to its advertising solutions, Sponsored Spaces is also integrated with Windows Live Messenger, making it much more effective for advertisers to promote their campaigns. Advertisers can also allow Spaces users to add the Sponsored Site to their friends list, extending the impact of a campaign. With Sponsored Spaces, advertisers can use popular Windows Live Spaces features, such as photo albums, gadgets, video players, and update alerts, to bring a high degree of customization and creativity to their site while matching it with campaign themes. The broad introduction of the new ad platform follows in-depth consultation by Microsoft with marketers and advertisers to create a solution that converges with social networking elements. |
| “We are extremely excited to launch this second Sponsored Spaces for Sony Ericsson. As one of the leading brands in mobile communications, this is a great way for Sony Ericsson to reach out and get closer to their target market and drive an even higher level of customer engagement. ,” continued Ms. Chia. “We have already seen some great successes for brands in the region that have chosen to leverage the power of social networking with Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions and we look forward to working with advertisers to build campaigns around this new solution as it continues to gain momentum in Asia.” Sony Ericsson‘s Share the Real Me Sponsored Space, which ran in March this year, attracted close to 52,000 visits over a month and more than 191 comments, says an official release. Share the Real Life, authored by Hong Kong celebrity Jan Lamb, encourages visitors to express themselves and share their real-life stories with others. Visitors to the new site are also invited to submit their blog in a competition. The winners, as judged by their online peers, receive a new Sony Ericsson K810i handset. “With blogging in India emerging as vibrant as the rest of Asia and more Indians using the internet, advertisers will need to build successful campaigns around their brands in the Indian blogosphere,” said MSN and Windows Live India head of digital marketing Revenue and Strategic Business Rajnish. “Different segments of consumers interact with each other through specific interest communities online. Social networking therefore enables advertisers to interact with not just the consumer but members of his community as well.” |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
