As social networking sites have captured the attention and imagination of consumers and corporations, store brand marketers can’t stand idly by. Consider the trends:

• Facebook reached 200 million users in 2009. According to the site’s January 2009 Social Ads platform, the 35-54 year old demographic not only grew fastest, but accelerated to a 276.4% growth rate over the past six months, doubling every two months!
• More businesses are adopting social media to reach customers. Forrester’s April 2009 Marketing Forum predicted that U.S. companies would boost social media spending from $716 million in 2009 to at least $3.1 billion in 2014–an annual increase of 34%.
• More B2B companies plan to use social media for marketing and PR purposes. According to research firm eMarketer, U.S. advertisers will raise B2B social media spending from $40 million in 2008 to $210 million in 2012.

Consider it the latest form of product placement.

Pharma marketers, with federal regulators continually peering over their shoulders, have understandably been reluctant to embrace the power of social media that sits at their fingertips. Recently, however, online patient communities sponsored by pharmaceutical companies have been emerging at an alarming rate – but you’ve probably never heard of them. Why?

Virtually parallel announcements from Google and Yahoo extend the reach of search engine advertisers to high end smartphones.

When we consider tapping into social networking as a means of encouraging customers to laud our brands, some of us recognize that a number of companies have tilled the soil of such mainstream social media services as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Are you pondering a social networking marketing initiative? Is upper management with you, or sitting on the sidelines: More concerned about the potential complaints of critics than the congratulations of customers?

There is reason to be optimistic at year's end, at least in the world of color. Pantone, the global color authority, released its fall '09 forecast and it shows a warmer palette than last year's blue and purple hues.