Ken Vannucci of London Drugs Vancouver Tells Us How He Uses Social Media

Written by Danielle
April 29th, 2011

• Tweet

• Tweet

We’ve taken a field trip to the headquarters of London Drugs (Vancouver, BC) to talk to Ken Vannucci about his use of Social Media for work and personal life.

Ken has been in retail since he was 14 and with London Drugs for 21 years. He tells us how Social Media Networks are changing the way he communicates in business and everyday life.

Embed This Video:<p><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DVKebnLPKxU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/>Video By <a href="http://www.cucumbermarketing.com" >Cucumber Marketing, Vancouver</a></p> <p>

• Social Media augments traditional media and has changed it. Print media has diminished and has left television and radio in an odd spot.
• Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, you name it) truly helps to bring groups of people together.
• It is more about Social Networking and not Social Media (or Social Media “Marketing”).
• It has allowed London Drugs (and Ken, in particular) to communicate better with customers.
• There is instant feedback that was not present in older mediums
• It is not necessarily making us disconnected; people today are communicating more (texting, on their iPads, etc.). It’s about the comfort level of the medium and how people approach it that determines its connectivity.
• If the medium feels comfortable and people enjoy using it, it has the potential to be a strong communicator and connector.
• Social Media may not be one-on-one, but it can facilitate more conversations and bring people together.
• For London Drugs, it has brought more products to Ken’s desk, better ideas, and consumer and vendor suggestions. Again, we get instant feedback!
• Without this online medium, many of these opportunities may not have surfaced.
• Ken manages a wide variety of categories (over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, baby, paper, and grocery)!
• There have been constant changes to the categories and new products from people contacting Ken solely online.
• For example, Nourish Tea saw London Drugs online and suggested their product be carried. This product fit in with London Drugs perfectly. The referrer knew because she had read Ken’s blog post on a similar tea.
• These online mediums and social networking sites opened up opportunities and brought the world tighter.
• For businesses that don’t use Social Media (Marketing)? There’s no other choice but to use it. It is not going anywhere.
• Traditional media is changing and moving towards the online world and Social Media. Most newspapers are not even delivered to houses anymore!
• Get out there, get involved, and spread your word.

So, whether you are a small business or a big business Social Media can bring you many opportunities. Social Media is here to stay!

Don’t forget to check out Ken Vannucci’s blog and follow Ken on Twitter, @KootenayBorn for more great thoughts.

On The Next Episode of Video Friday:

We are celebrating Mother’s Day next weekend and we’ll be talking to a mom entrepreneur, who is providing great resources for other moms. Stay tuned!

Want to Tell Us Your Story?

Email us at blog@cucumbermarketing.com

Thanks for watching and talk to you next Friday!

« 5 Google Analytics Tips You Can’t Ignore! {With Shannon Yelland} | Cucumber University was Epic! »