Did you know that …

• Cragslist is the ninth most popular website in America.
• Developing countries are experiencing an expansion of newspapers rather than a decline.
• India is now the world’s fastest-growing newspaper market.

A special  14-page report on the news industry in a recent issue of The Economist titled, “Bulletins from the Future,” is a must-read to gain a global perspective on the issue. The article does an excellent job of summarizing ways people are sharing and gathering information – and the piece has some excellent graphs and figures to demonstrate its points.

When Google unveiled its new platform, Google+, many were quick to point out the reasons why it’s the “next big thing” in social networking. Over the past week, millions of people anxiously awaited invitations to try the new network and all its features. But, not me. Instead, I’m (sort of) longing for the simple days of dial-up Internet and bare-bones AOL.

While I’m often accused of being “stuck in the 90s” regarding my music and movie choices, it’s not a fondness for the bygone era of chat rooms and online zines that fuels my hesitation to join Google+ – it’s that I’m suffering from social media overload. I realize that a fully connected world has several benefits, but I struggle to see the advantages of managing another social network for several reasons:

Facebook does it all. Anytime a new social media platform enters the scene, I picture Mark Zuckerberg sitting at his computer, singing “Anything You Can Do” from Annie Get Your Gun while he plots his next move. Sure enough, when Google+ launched with video conferencing, Zuckerberg announced Facebook will feature Skype video chat. From geotags to status updates to professional information, Facebook has a knack for incorporating other platforms’ functionalities into its 750 million-strong user community. And – as I asked in December – why bother trying to manage several different accounts when you can get everything you need in one place?

Learning a new platform is daunting. Although I’ve logged onto Google+ a couple of times, I quickly retreated after feeling overwhelmed by trying to figure out an entirely new platform. Facebook has evolved over time and we’ve had an opportunity to grow along with it, slowly learning different features and functionalities. And other social media networks – such as Twitter and Foursquare – focus on very specific, streamlined applications that make them fairly easy to navigate. Google+ has a lot to offer, but trying to figure out a new network loaded with bells and whistles takes a lot of time and effort.

Growing a new network is a lot of work. As a Facebook user since early 2005, I have spent several years building my network on the site. I’ve managed to rekindle friendships I thought were long-lost and use the site as my primary means through which to store pictures. True, I’ve recently started to “trim the fat” a bit – removing friends who are merely acquaintances, hiding news feed updates from overzealous posters and tweaking my privacy settings – but I still don’t want to create an entirely new profile and friends list.

Maybe I’m missing the boat and not giving Google+ a fair shot. What do you think? Is Google+ worth a second look or am I right in thinking that the social media world has become way too overwhelming?

Kenneth Gronbach, a noted demographer and author of the book “The Age Curve,” recently spoke at PRSA Orlando about trends in demographics and how changes in our population translate into value for your business.

He shared an interesting example about work he did with a motorcycle maker in 1979 relating to demographics. Business was booming for them and all of sudden … splat! Sales bottomed out – dropping 80 percent over the next five years, to be exact. The product hadn’t changed, advertising and other communication was steady and customers were happy with the product. So, what happened to cause such a dramatic dip in sales?

Here’s a question: Who buys fast, flashy motorcycles? Men ages 16-24. When the now 78.2 million Baby Boomers were in that age range, motorcycle sales were sky high. But once these men approached their mid- to late-twenties (and “sold their bike to buy a ring,” claims Gronbach), the motorcycle market was left with a tremendous void that Generation X just could not fill.

As communicators, we’re always looking for the next trend. Gronbach’s advice is to get in front of the market that’s coming – not the one that’s shrinking away from you. Take a look for yourself and think about the industries you or your clients are in. What does this mean for you?

Subway’s “Jared” ad campaign

Advertising agencies are known for creativity and “big ideas.” But good ad agencies place just as much emphasis on listening and researching. Effective ad campaigns usually aren’t based on luck or productive brainstorming sessions — there’s a foundation of understanding the company that fosters creative cultivation.

In 1983, when advertising mogul David Ogilvy wrote the book Ogilvy on Advertising, he paid homage to the tedious studying involved before launching successful ad campaigns. He wrote:

“When I got the Rolls-Royce account, I spent three weeks reading about the car and came across a statement that ‘at sixty miles an hour, the loudest noise comes from the electric clock.’ This became the [print advertisement] headline.”

Later, Ogilvy landed the Mercedes account and sent a team to the company’s headquarters for three weeks to tape interviews with the engineers. That launched a campaign of in-depth, factual advertisements, which helped triple Mercedes sales in the U.S.

Along the same line, listening is equally important. In the book Made to Stick, authors Dan and Chip Heath point to the example of how a Subway franchise owner took notice of a loyal customer who ate Subway sandwiches every day and lost a lot of weight. The owner suggested that Subway’s Chicago ad agency look into the idea. Luckily, they listened because the suggestion was the foundation for the hugely successful Jared campaign.

These examples demonstrate that ideas aren’t always born within ad agencies’ walls. It takes rolling up your sleeves, customer and competitive research, and listening to everyone.

So although inspiration is a big part of the idea process, don’t overlook the perspiration involved. Advertising agencies like to hang their hats on creativity — not sweat — but don’t be fooled.