--- title: "Daily Buzz: Goodbye Google+, Hello Currents" id: "46322" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-goodbye-google-hello-currents" published_at: "2019-04-11T20:06:46+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T01:05:36+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/04/11/daily-buzz-goodbye-google-hello-currents/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/04/11/daily-buzz-goodbye-google-hello-currents.md" excerpt: "Google reinvents the retired social network Google+ as a workplace communication tool for Google Apps. Also: the value of events as a brand builder." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Digital Communication" - "Social Media" - "Technology" - "Workplace" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Goodbye Google+, Hello Currents It’s no surprise that a rebrand is in effect for Google+, the social network owned and operated by the tech giant: The interface was shuttered for business and consumer use this month after low usage and several high-profile data leaks. What’s changed? Currents, [a company news release says (opens in a new tab)](https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2019/04/currents-for-gsuite.html) , is a G Suite app “that enables people to have meaningful discussions and interactions across your organization, helping keep everyone in the know and giving leaders the opportunity to connect with their employees.” In other words, it’s now positioned as a workplace tool—and not a platform to, say, share family vacation photos with friends. An organization’s existing Google+ content will automatically transfer to Currents after enrolling in the beta version, the news release says. Currents users may compose content, tag others, attach documents or images, and provide feedback. The goal: Encourage shared communication and reduce emails. For some, the new name may sound familiar. Currents was the former iteration of Google Play Newsstand (which predates the Google News app). The name is meant to evoke the flow of information, [a company executive told TechCrunch (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/10/with-consumer-g-dead-currents-hopes-to-make-waves-in-the-enterprise/) . He added that “very low recognition” of the former Currents platform won’t cause any confusion going forward. Whether the revamped tool finds wider adoption is another story. ### why brands are investing in Live Events > Inside the ‘economics of attention’: Why live experiences drive brand loyalty [https://t.co/m2NE1VazuB (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/m2NE1VazuB) > [pic.twitter.com/KMcZl176Uz (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/KMcZl176Uz) > > — Event Marketer (@EventMarketer) [April 2, 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/EventMarketer/status/1113217797671124992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Getting a customer’s attention** is costing companies more these days, according to Harvard Business School professor Thales Teixeira. More crucial, they need to reach people offline to attract “high-quality attention.” The good news for associations is that their models are already well-honed for such interaction: Experiential events can “fast-track” a courtship with consumers, Teixeira told [Event Marketer magazine (opens in a new tab)](https://www.eventmarketer.com/article/qa-rising-cost-of-consumer-attention-harvard/) in a blog post about his “attention quotient” framework. The formula measures how live events can drive brand loyalty more effectively than the crowded field of television and digital advertising. The in-person approach may require more money and reach fewer consumers, but it can produce a tangible return on investment. Attendees “go to your event to entertain themselves, to learn, and to experience something unique,” Teixeira says. “And after that, it’s like you just bumped them halfway up the ladder” of engagement. ### Other Links of Note **A happy conferencegoer** is a repeat one. MemberSuite shares [17 ways to welcome first-time guests (opens in a new tab)](https://www.membersuite.com/blog/17-tips-for-turning-first-time-attendees-into-event-regulars) . **Good company culture** can define your brand and workplace. One CEO [shares a how-to (opens in a new tab)](https://www.inc.com/jenn-lim/how-to-ensure-your-company-culture-grows-with-you.html) with *Inc.* **Has the ease of digital communication** made human contact a “luxury good”? [The New York Times investigates (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/23/sunday-review/human-contact-luxury-screens.html) . (Handout photo) [Kevin Joy](https://associationsnow.com/author/kevin-joy/) Kevin Joy is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/kevin-joy/) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#Digital Communication](https://associationsnow.com/tag/digital-communication/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) [#Workplace](https://associationsnow.com/tag/workplace/) **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 - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2019%2F04%2F11%2Fdaily-buzz-goodbye-google-hello-currents%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !