Walgreen’s Adam Kmiec Punctures Social Media Hype

Social media has enormous potential for blue-chip companies, but it also has plenty of hot air. Walgreen’s director of social media Adam Kmiec took to the stage at Digiday Social. That’s why one of the most valuable role he plays in Walgreen’s is serving as a reality check. Kmiec compares the social media today to the overheated expectations of the Web back in 1997. That’s led to the rise of social media gurus, such as Chris Brogran, who charges $22,000 per day for consulting and is already writing a book on Google Plus for business. “We have consultants, agencies,  we have ‘strategery’ groups who are all selling this hype internally on a daily basis,” says Kmiec. But much of the promises don’t add up. Look at social wunderkind Dell’s performance against Apple over the past few years. “Do you know what Apple’s social strategy is,” Kmiec says, “great freaking products.” Watch his full presentation below.