Fan Pages - are they worth it?

The New York Times Business section had this really cool article on Cartier setting up a fan page on MySpace (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/business/media/31adco.html).  On the face of it, the idea of a premium brand like Cartier soliciting fans on MySpace seems incongrous - is that where their core audience is?  The Cartier Fan Page on Facebook has about 3,505 fans.  Curiously, the fans that showed up when I opened the page seemed mostly like they are from the Middle East (I guess with oil prices being what they are, only Middle Easterners can afford to buy the bling). 

Jokes aside, we highly recommend that our clients create fan pages.  Its an easy way to promote the brand and build loyalty.  Plus, with a luxury brand, I guess the aim is to target "aspirationals".  However, it will be interesting to see how this will drive sales for Cartier.  Stay tuned - this discussion isn't over.