Cadbury UK Launches New Product on Google +

It is no longer unusual for companies to launch new products via their social media channels, but to date Google + has not been the platform of choice. Earlier this week Cadbury UK launched its new product Bubbly on its Google + page first (3,440 people within their circle) rather than on its Facebook page with more than 78,000 followers.

Before you can all of your other social media strategy and pledge allegiance to Google, I am still not sold on Google +. I have a Google + account and have some people and a few companies in various circles, but I don't see many signs of Google gaining traction. AND most importantly, I don't see what Google + is offering me that I am not getting from other social media platforms on which I am deeply entrenched.

We are, of course, watching Google + and have thrown the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing hat in the ring in a very low engagement kind of way. But, social media needs high levels of engagement. If most social media participating individuals and companies only go through the motions to say they are on Google +, Google + will fail (as I suspect it will). After all, what is social media if your friends and colleagues aren't engaged? You are just talking to yourself.

Or....just talking to 3,440 in Cadbury's case.

(I tip my hat to whoever at Cadbury thought to launch their new product on Google +. It was a brilliant strategy in that they are the first major consumer products company to launch a new product on Google +. Yes, they only have 3,440 people in their circle, but they have gotten major play in the traditional press and on other established social media platforms...Cheers).

My New Year’s Resolutions to You

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were fun and relaxing.

I, along with many of you, have spent the last couple of weeks reviewing the successes as well as the learning points 2011 offered. Also I have spent this time contemplating the areas of my life I am pleased with and will continue, as well as making commitments in areas I am dedicated to strengthening.

Thanks to the commitments I made to myself a couple of years ago I am in pretty good physical shape and am a healthy weight, so I will not bore you with the subtleties of my resolutions in this area. You are also probably not wildly interested in the commitments I made relating to my life with my family, friends and spiritual life.

What’s in it for you? Professional resolutions have always been a big part of my commitments for a given new year, but this year they are center stage under a bright spotlight.

Successful business-to-business communications and business development approaches have changed. Driven by technology, lean teams within most companies and corporate cost cutting, the way your customers make their way through buying cycles has changed. This said, the age old saying….."The more things change, the more they stay the same" certainly applies. Your customers are people and people do not change their views, perceptions and behaviors as quickly as technology changes.

So, I resolve to you to:

• Multiply my dedication to ongoing professional development so that I, along with the full Pharmaceutical Manufacturing team, can bring the latest marketing communications thinking and approaches to you. In fact, Putman Media has invested to send myself and one of my colleagues to American Business Media’s B2B Advanced Leadership Program at Northwestern University next week so stay tuned.
  

• Drive myself and our team to develop new and creative solutions to address your marketing communications and business development challenges.

• Continue to work to understand and meet our audiences’ information and knowledge needs.

• Not letting our commitment to the creation of leading edge editorial waiver.

• Professionally making recommendations to assure that your Pharmaceutical Manufacturing marketing communications programs meet and exceed your expectations.

I am excited about this year and look forward to working with you to achieve your 2012 goals and maybe to helping you to work on one or two of your own resolutions.

I wish you peace, blessings and success in the New Year.