With Google’s recent unveiling of Plus, a social network rivalling Facebook and Twitter. The potential opportunities it provides brands and businesses are exciting. Why report on it now? Google is providing some innovative new social tools brands can use to connect with their fan-base, namely Sparks and Hangouts. Sparks Sparks allow people to share interesting links, photos, videos, and articles with their social circles. This is great for businesses and brands to share relevant news, articles, and media, just like they do now on Facebook. However, Sparks seems far less static than Facebook, and seems more welcoming and accessible for consumers to post under a specific Topic as e.g., a contest submission or a response in an interactive discussion. Hangouts Hangouts is Google Plus’ group video chat. For businesses and brands, this could allow them to provide simplified, personal customer support using video functionality, or host Webinars and info-sessions. While Google Plus seems to be quite promising for brands and organizations, there is one major concern: Fragmentation. Fragmentation As users switch from Twitter and Facebook to Google Plus, businesses will be expected to be represented on this platform as well. Social dispersion and the adoption of new services may result in inconsistent messages from businesses to consumers. With developers creating Facebook add-ons, such as RetailConnect: a service that creates a Facebook Store out of a Fan Page, it is unlikely that the adoption of Google Plus for businesses will eclipse their preexisting presences on other social networks. Keenan Berg keenan@wishpond.com