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Top 50 Social Media Players

The Big Money Facebook 50 Unveiled Today

Monday, 30 November 2009

Online Magazine Honors and Ranks the Fifty Companies Making the Best Use of Facebook
The Big Money Twitter 12 Revealed Later This Week

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—The first annual list of The Big Money Facebook 50, a ranking of the top fifty companies making the best use of the social networking site, Facebook, was unveiled today by Slate's The Big Money.com. Later this week The Big Money will release the Twitter 12, twelve brands making strategic and successful use of Twitter.

Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) landed in the top spot on The Big Money Facebook 50, besting forty-nine other national and international brands. Companies that made their way onto The Big Money's new feature span various industries and sectors including fashion, technology, media, etc., with some surprising honorees, such as JCPenney and Dippin' Dots.

"While lists measuring corporate value based on dollars and cents are common, at The Big Money we see real value in recognizing companies that are performing well in the nebulous but all-important realm of social media," said James Ledbetter, editor of The Big Money. "These are the companies that are really moving the needle in terms of customer engagement and loyalty, a critical aspect of a brand's success and staying power in this challenging economy."

Companies had to have a minimum of 200,000 Facebook friends or fans before being considered for The Big Money Facebook 50. Qualifying brands were then assessed on whether they employ a dedicated social media staff, how long the brand has been present on Facebook, and how much money it spends on the social networking site. Companies were then ranked from one to five on how often they update their Facebook offerings; the variety of material they offer; how much user interest their pages have generated; how integrated Facebook is into the company's broader marketing; how easy it is to find the company's Facebook page through a search engine, and creativity and effectiveness.

THE BIGMONEY FACEBOOK 50 TOP 10

1. Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO)
2. Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX)
3. Disney (NYSE: DIS)
4. Victoria's Secret (NYSE: LTD)
5. iTunes (NYSE: AAPL)
6. Vitaminwater (NYSE: KO)
7. YouTube (NYSE: GOOG)
8. Chick-fil-A
9. Red Bull
10. T.G.I.Friday's

For a complete list of The Big Money Facebook 50, The Big Money Twitter 12, and related feature stories, visit www.thebigmoney.com