GE Has a SECRET Weapon: Facebook

General Electric (NYSE:GE) is partnering with Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) to make the most of the sporting buzz expected to be generated by the Summer Olympics. The two have launched HealthyShare, an app that lets people share their health goals with friends. The app is part of a larger partnership between the two that also includes Sponsored Story ad buys by the electronics manufacturer.

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GE also plans to make its Olympic Games media push using Twitter ad buys and community engagement, as well as efforts on other social media sites like Pinterest, Viddy, and Instagram.

The HealthyShare application takes Facebook users to take six different challenges with activities inspired by athletes such as NBA player Kevin Durant and sprinter Michael Johnson. Users can log their progress and are awarded points for each day of activity as well as for Facebook “likes.”

“Many research studies show that our friends can help us live healthier lives,” Facebook’s global head of brand design, Paul Adams, said in a statement. “By supporting each other, we increase people’s motivation, helping them meet their goals of feeling better, and being healthier and happier.”

Adams said the app was designed to last even after the Summer Games are over. “The plan is to learn quickly from this release and continually improve this tool together in the coming months,” he said.

GE has a special interest in Olympic promotion, as it is partnering the host city, London, to provide infrastructure solutions, including power, lighting, water treatment, and transportation.

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