Twitter Introduces Brand Pages, Redesign to Include Disney, Coca Cola

Twitter announced Thursday plans to introduce brand pages, similar to Facebook.

In a move to strengthen its relationship with advertisers, Twitter has decided to launch a comprehensive redesign which will include the said brand pages.

A tweet's only 140 characters, said Chief Revenue Officer Adam Bain. [Brand pages are] like an invitation to learn more. When consumers want to learn more, spend more time or get deeper in terms of engagement, we think they'll end up on the brand page.

According to AdAge, brand pages can be customized on multiple levels. Large header images will allow brands to display their logos prominently. Brands can choose to keep a particular tweet at the top of their time line. This tweet can expand to include an embedded photo or video from Flickr, YouTube or elsewhere. The page will also separate the brands replies and mentions, so its message does not get diluted by direct communication with Twitter users.

Twitter is launching the brand pages with 21 brands: American Express, Best Buy, Bing, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Dell , Disney, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, JetBlue, Kia, McDonald's, Nike , PepsiCo, Staples, Verizon Communications Wireless, NYSE Euronext, Heineken, Subway and Paramount Pictures. These 21 brands have been strategic players in the Twitter game and have utilized the social network for key marketing tactics.

The question for each one of these marketers is what is the interesting, compelling, provocative content that they can be putting out to a larger audience to keep that engagement high, said Bain.

The Twitter brand pages can compete with Facebook, offering rich content and tactical consumer attraction. AdAge reports, via information from eMarketer, that Twitter's global ad revenue is set to reach $139.5 million in 2011 and could hit $400 million by 2013. Its advertising program was originally launched in April 2010 with just six advertisers signed up for promoted tweets.

This launch comes about one month on the heels of Google's announcement of its brand pages for Google+. There is no date set for the brand page launch. But success is expected. In a recent survey, Brafton determined that 37 percent of businesses are most socially active on Twitter. Thus, the brand pages will allow for more effective social media marketing.

On Thursday, Twitter also introduced a redesign for private users dubbed Let's Fly. This redesign is intended to make the Twitter experience easier and faster. The simplified design includes new tabs like the discover tab, which focuses on each unique user's interests.