Medium = Message. There isn't much buzzing yet at www.abuzz.com, the community site launched last week by Times Co. Digital (a division of The New York Times Co.). But the site likely will spark discussion in the trade press about the future role of media companies, considering it's a media venture in which the media is noticeably absent. Abuzz.com provides a technological platform in which users can post their own profiles, pitch their own expertise and solicit the perspectives of other site users - without filters (a.k.a. reporters, advertisers or PR practitioners).
If you're looking to position your CEO as king of the world, this isn't the place. But if you want a chance to interact directly with "average Americans," you'll find some here. Just beware that spam rules still apply. Our advice? Use it for research, not pitching. (914/722-4051)
Healthy marcom. The Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, a division of the American Hospital Association, offers a book on marketing plan development. Healthcare Marketing Plans That Work packs 115 pages worth of market strategies, along with common attributes of successful and failed plans. Case studies of hospitals, a managed care organization and a physician group offer industry perspectives on specific marketing plan components. The book is $35 for SHSMD members and $50 for non-members.(800/AHA-2626; www.stratsociety.org)