Hey, who invited that boring Google+ kid to the party?

On June 28th of this year, Google+ will be five years old. 

There are those who will acknowledge this milestone. Many, if not most, will largely ignore it. And then some will write yet another post explaining why Google+ should just die already.

Rather harsh words to wield at a five-year-old.

But not entirely unjustified.

Perhaps for social media junkies, the late arrival of Google+ to the party felt like the guest with that “special” something whose arrival everyone awaits. But for the rest of us, it felt more like Google+ crashed the party.  And then it didn’t even bother to bring anything. (Not even a token bag of chips.)

Of course, fans of Google+ would disagree. Listed below are some of what they deem “special” features:

1. Google+ has an impact on personalized search results so that if someone follows you, or follows someone who shares/reshares/+1s your content, then that content will show up higher in the search results.

2. With the circle functionality, you can group your contacts into personalized categories (circles) and then share content in only the circles where it’s relevant. You are also able to share circles with colleagues and then they can create circles based on those contacts. Other platforms can’t do that. (Neh neh, boo boo.)

3.  Google+ is interest driven. This makes it easier to find others that share similar interests so that when you connect with them, you already have things in common. And with the built-in tool called Hangouts on Air, you get the power of Google Search and YouTube helping you get found on the Internet.

4. With Google+, you can turn up or down the volume on certain streams so if the topic of a circle interests you more than another, you can turn up the volume on that one so that you’ll get more posts from that category. 

5. There are fewer distractions from ads, thus placing the focus on content. (Take that, Facebook.) Plus, Google+ posts are less prone to being lost in the noise, when compared to something like Twitter. 

Well, okay.

These may well be valid points. Circles are nice. Who hasn’t dreamt of turning up the volume on one? (Except maybe everyone.) And most of the rest sounds viable, though frankly I don’t see Twitter and Google+ attending the same party, let alone hanging out together. I mean, Twitter is twice Google+’s age.  And not much of a talker.

What it all boils down to is that these features just aren’t “special” enough for most of us.

We’re already stretched in all directions trying to maintain the current social media platforms into which we’ve weaved our lives, egos and TMI. And Google+ isn’t offering anything outstanding or different to justify our getting on board with yet another. According to critics of this platform, its design updates have actually done less to improve it. The mobile experience is lacking, which is a huge drawback. And despite its moniker, Google+ does NOT drive all SEO.   

And then Google took nepotism to a whole new level in 2013 when they upset the YouTube community by requiring people to have a Google+ account to comment on what was once a wide-open site for self-expression. They have since admitted defeat and require only a regular Google account now, but this did nothing to parley favor for Google+.  Rather, it positioned their legacy/love child as a spoiled brat that tries to gain popularity through bullying tactics and pulling rank. It’s just that sort of behavior that keeps one from getting invited to parties. And inspires hateful rants.

Google+ feels not just like another platform, but another thing to maintain and another thing to do. It’s simply too little, too late.    

Staff Spotlight

At LeDuc Creative, we believe “Creative Human Capital” is the backbone of digital marketing and advertising. Today, we want to highlight two members of our digitally driven staff who work tirelessly to bring our clients into the 21st century:

Lauren Maier, Resource Manager
“My background is in education; however, after teaching for six years, moving to Indiana and bringing our daughter into the world, it was time to change directions. I became the Resource Manager for LeDuc Creative, which has allowed me to expand my comfort levels and put my skills to the test, all while staying at home with my daughter, Penelope.

“I have watched LeDuc Creative grow for over twenty years, and I am proud of where we are today. There is no such thing as a typical day, as each one brings new excitement. I work behind the scenes to ensure all data and resources are accurate and up-to-date. There is never a dull moment at LeDuc Creative, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Jacob Hollenbeck, Graphic Designer
“I’m a graphic designer who enjoys helping small businesses thrive in a world dominated by corporate commerce. I take pride in getting to know the clients I work with, and I value the relationships I build over the course of a project.

“I have a degree in graphic design from Ferris State University and have been designing for LeDuc Creative since 2013. With an emphasis on problem solving and communication, my design process ensures that a company’s audience hears them clearly. Ultimately, my work helps clients bolster their business and strengthen their brand.”

About LeDuc Creative
Located in the heart of Ann Arbor, LeDuc Creative has been doing traditional, digital, and analytical advertising and marketing for over 35 years. We represent the best of traditional advertising and 21st century marketing, combining data-driven marketing strategies and cutting edge advertising techniques to serve our clients in a variety of ways.

For more information about LeDuc services and our “Creative Human Capital,” please visit http://leduccreative.us/.

A Brief History of LeDuc Creative

In 1972, John LeDuc took a job as a sign painter. He was commissioned to paint the outfield fence of the softball field in Lapeer, Michigan. The image was the Big Boy logo, but instead of holding a cheeseburger, he was holding a softball mitt and catching a fly ball. It was this job that would inspire John to pursue a career in advertising.

John went on to art school, but continued painting signs for Lapeer during summer breaks. While in school, he started painting album covers and when he graduated, John was offered a job as an illustrator for General Motors.

After a year at GM, John went back to Ann Arbor where he opened a studio making T-shirts and signs. It was here that John picked up his first client, Collected Works. Collected Works is LeDuc’s longest standing client and John remains good friends with the store’s owners Rich and Irene.

Eventually, John got married and moved to a location on Dewey St. with an art studio on the first floor. While working at Douglas Anderson Advertising, John LeDuc met John Benson. When Doug Anderson told Benson and LeDuc they would never amount to anything, the pair left the company to start their own competing agency, Benson LeDuc Studios. Over time, Benson LeDuc grew from a two man boutique studio to a 22 man agency with 5 Industrial accounts, a woman’s clothing store, a couple of bars and restaurants and 23 Taubman Shopping Centers.

In 1987, John moved to 1400 White St. where JLeDuc Co was born. The office was located in a studio built above the garage and John’s wife Julaine wouldn’t let people that she didn’t like into the house. Family friends “Peanut” and Michelle joined John as office administrators and project managers. Bill deMink (John’s brother-in-law) started working as a freelance writer and still remains with the company to this day.

In 1999, JLeDuc Co. was purchased and the company name was changed to Ideography. In 2001 John left Ideography to create LeDuc Creative Co., a creative consulting firm. By 2003 LeDuc Creative had transformed into a full service ad agency and the accounts from Ideography began to migrate over to LeDuc Creative Co.

Since 2003, LeDuc Creative Co. has transformed from a traditional ad agency to digital marketing and advertising company. LeDuc Creative has undergone many changes over the past five decades, but reflecting back on the past leaves John with nothing but optimism for the future. “Here I am at the ripe ol’ age of 60, enjoying advertising as much as ever,” John noted, “As my minister brother used to say: I can’t be knocked down, you can’t take away my joy, you can’t be beat me, because I got God on my side.”