• by Tameka Kee , April 26, 2007

In an effort to generate buzz for its new service to San Francisco, JetBlue Airways has partnered with localized social network Going.com--sponsoring a three-city rock tour, among other events.

Boston-based Going.com (formerly HeyLetsGo.com) is also expanding its network to San Francisco and New York, making it the most logical partner to promote JetBlue's new destination.

On May 3, when San Francisco-bound flights leave New York and Boston, JetBlue has planned multiple tri-city events, capitalizing on the strong community ties a social network like Going.com can provide.

Attendees must join Going.com to receive free admission to parties on May 1 and May 10 in San Francisco's Mezzanine and New York's Hero nightclubs, respectively. Locations and dates of the rock tour featuring The Teddy Bears will be revealed on the site as well.

JetBlue also plans to use co-branded banner ads on sites like hipster music magazine urb.com, in addition to out-of-home media.

Going.com and other localized social networks differ from larger sites such as MySpace in that they focus on connecting local users to nightlife, music, and cultural events in their own neighborhoods--blurring the line between the online and offline "village." This creates a space for advertisers, like JetBlue, to have their brand image resonate with a targeted demographic on a seemingly organic level.

The partnership was brokered by Urban Groove Networks, an entertainment and music marketing agency based in New York. Said executive Parag Bandhari: "We picked Going.com to help tap into the music, nightlife and cultural scenes of all three cities. It just seemed like the perfect partner for JetBlue's promotional needs."