Case in point: Elations, a fruit-flavored beverage that provides a recommended dosage of Glucosamine and Chondroitin to those suffering from joint pain and osteoarthritis.
Rather than promote its product using traditional media, the company launched a social networking site, LiveElated.com , where boomers can read daily nutritional news stories, track their weight loss using a BMI and Activity calculator, and share stories with people living with similar ailments.
I was struck by the wealth of information on the site, which includes weekly wellness tips, recipes, quizzes and reader questions answered by a nutritionist.
I was also surprised by the lack of product advertising. Elations has its own company site, yet its social networking site contains minimal ads describing the product and its purpose, which is a great thing. The site genuinely houses health information for joint pain sufferers without pushing its product onto users.
The company probably realizes that for consumers to find the LiveElated site, chances are they're already familiar with Elations.
Created by Pop Design Works, the site also includes a community forum for users to interact, a searchable database for neighborhood walking clubs, and a photo upload section where users can share pictures that illustrate people "living elated."