Put your Mouth where your Money Is

As traditional media and corporations lose credibility, companies need more than ever to build good Word of Mouth about their products.  The smart ones recognize this shift and are paying more attention than ever to WOM. 

This means infusions of cash into innovative online initiatives and creative new ways of spending ad and PR dollars -- great news for innovators, and a big threat for those of us who have been resting on our laurels. 

Of course, this is only the first step; businesses will have to change fundamentally if they intend to actually harvest gains from positive WOM.  More on that later.