Crowd Surfing: Surviving and Thriving in the Age of Consumer Empowerment

Marketing consultants Thomas and Brain offer a well-meaning if woefully dated paean to the power of the consumer. In the brave new world of blogging, YouTube and Consumerist.com, business leaders must harness the energy, ideas and enthusiasm of their customers, rather than relying on the talent and budget of their marketing departments—a lesson politicians would also be well-advised to learn; the authors speak admiringly of Obama's campaign, and less so of Hillary Clinton's, which seemed tainted by the power of her political machine. They urge marketers to forgo expensive advertising campaigns and didactic attitudes in favor of giving their customers, partners and employees a greater say in business operations. Drawing on such successes as gethuman.com and Dove's “Real Beauty” campaign, they warn against underestimating the average Joe Blogger and praise such “social corporations” as Apple, which go to great lengths to meet customers and stakeholders face to face. The practical advice and enthusiasm about new media is admirable, but the information—particularly their analysis of the 2008 election—already feels stale. (Oct.)