Consumer generated content (CGC)

From: Is Blog a Four-Letter Word?

In the old days of mass marketing, the marketer was in control of how their brands were represented. Today, the consumer has a tremendous amount of power and if we leave it to their own devices, we will lose control. It's extremely important to reach out to consumers with consistently branded messages when and where they're paying attention.

Our best advice is to extend your upmarket brand experience well beyond traditional consumer touch points and into the online world, because, if you don't, the consumer will beat you to the punch. This involves far more than just creating a standard website or blog: it means contributing to the online community, paying attention to the constellation of tags associated with your brands and those of your competitors and making sure that your brands are represented online in the manner you desire.

While we cannot completely control or stop the use of public blogs, we can deliver online brand content that supports the overall upmarket brand message.