Twitter launches new, glossy, engaging pages for brands

With a bevy of new profile features, Twitter is giving brands even more control over how they present themselves on the site.

Today at a press event to announce a complete design and functionality overhaul for the service, Twitter executives also announced new brand-focused pages, which are enhanced profiles meant to entice marketers to think of Twitter as an essential, expressive destination for consumer interaction.

“We have tons of businesses on Twitter today,” said Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.

Likening the appearance of @usernames and #hashtags in advertising, he continued, “This is the new URL. This is the way people are interacting with content now.”

On the new pages, large header images can be used to show a company’s logo and tagline as well as other visual information. Additionally, brands can select a specific tweet to be “promoted” or featured as the top status on the page.

And since all tweets are now expandable, this initial Promoted Tweet on a brand’s page will be automatically expanded the minute a visitor lands on the page.

These new pages are free for brands to use. Twitter is starting the roll-out today with 21 initial brand partners, including such big names as Pepsi, Heineken, McDonalds, Disney/Pixar, Coca Cola, Verizon Wireless and many others.

Here’s a snapshot of what you can expect to see on a brand page: