MotoSocial Media

You know social media has come of age when major brands shift their product development focus to harness its formidable power.

Motorola, in a mobile device product doldrum for the past couple of years is unveiling their latest entry in the smartphone universe, Cliq. But the big news is that product development objectives were first and foremost to make social networking a seamless if not endless experience on the Cliq. Based on Google’s Android platform, Cliq continuously receives feeds from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace so you can more easily stay in touch with your BFF. The big difference is that while devices such as the iPhone rely on Apps which you must exit in order to answer phone calls, change tunes on your iPod feature or access other Apps, and then re-launch the App. Cliq enables you to seamlessly toggle back and forth.

The marketing strategy for launching Cliq is also centered around social media. Ambitious plans include Motorola launching a Facebook page and Twitter accounts, all in the effort to “join the conversation,” according to Erick Soderstrom, Motorola’s VP of Marketing, as quoted in a recent Chicago Tribune article. Tapping into word-of-mouth, buzz, or dialogue, Motorola aims to gain traction among those who would be the product’s early adopters…the social mediascape.

While building a groundswell of brand support is important, especially for major brands that can be targets of malcontent, it does take time. Joining the conversation is by invite, not mandate, so it will be interesting to see if using social media to launch a new product and gain product support also takes a long-term approach.

Meanwhile, check out the new Motorola Cliq and post your thoughts here or at my Twitter account @strass