--- title: "Lunchtime Links: Do You Really Have to be on Social Media?" id: "14837" type: "post" slug: "lunchtime-links-do-you-really-have-to-be-on-social-media" published_at: "2012-12-05T17:18:56+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:17:51+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/12/05/lunchtime-links-do-you-really-have-to-be-on-social-media/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/12/05/lunchtime-links-do-you-really-have-to-be-on-social-media.md" excerpt: "Four big names that aren’t on social media. Plus: One business goes above and beyond for a very important customer." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Marketing" - "rebranding" - "Social Media" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Lunchtime Links: Do You Really Have to be on Social Media? What’s your Twitter handle? How many Facebook pages do you have? How do you measure ROI on Pinterest? These rapid-fire questions have become commonplace in an age when “everyone who’s everyone” is on social media (starting next week, [even the pope (opens in a new tab)](http://http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/world/europe/follow-the-pope-on-twitter-he-follows-no-one.html) ). But there are four big brands that haven’t quite dipped their toes in yet. Is it time for them to take the plunge? That and more in today’s Lunchtime Links: **What’s in a name?** Almost everyone is on social media, save 24 percent of Americans who just refuse to sign up for Facebook. But on a larger level, brands have taken over the social media arena to give it new direction and much more business-savvy. [But according to Mashable (opens in a new tab)](http://mashable.com/2012/12/03/brands-not-on-social-media/) , there are still four household names that don’t yet have an “official” account for social media: Trader Joe’s, Marlboro, Viagra, and Apple. Are they smart or stupid? If you’re already a household name, do you really need four other handles? **Trend report:**Take a hint from the president’s super-personalized approach, his data mine of voters, social media campaigns, and fast-moving technology. The end of the year is a good time to take a deep breath and do some learning. In a post on NTEN: Your Nonprofit Technology Network, Sarah Durham, principal and founder of Big Duck, [talks about the best fundraising trends of 2012. (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nten.org/articles/2012/getting-intimate-with-your-donors-fundraising-trends-of-2012?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nten+%28NTEN+Blog%29) The big takeaways include being transparent and having a crisis-management plan before the crisis hits. What lessons have you learned this year about managing your donors? Is there anything you’ll change in 2013? **Lego land:** Sometimes, a story tugs at the heartstrings so much you have to share it. Such is the case of James, [an 11-year-old from Massachusetts who saved for two years for a train set from Lego, only to find out it had been discontinued (opens in a new tab)](http://consumerist.com/2012/12/03/lego-finds-spare-discontinued-set-so-boy-who-saved-up-for-2-years-wouldnt-be-disappointed/) . Prices were out of reach on eBay and Amazon, so he wrote a plea to Lego executives to help him out. The company pulled through just two days before his birthday, making a lifetime fan out of James. How has your organization gone above and beyond lately? If you’re reading something great over lunch, let us know in the comments. iStockphoto/Thinkstock [Chloe Thompson](https://associationsnow.com/author/chloe-thompson/) Chloe Thompson is a contributing writer to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/chloe-thompson/) Tags: [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#rebranding](https://associationsnow.com/tag/rebranding/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoDaily Recap: Day 1 from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/daily-recap-day-1-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. 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