If you look at the characteristics of brands admired by consumers and considered well-managed today, we see that they follow a pattern. Brands from the 21st Century are soft, while the successful brands from the last century were hard. It is worth noting that in many cases the brands are not new, but their managers have known how to…

The rise of social media and online reviews may have turned yesteryear’s business-to-consumer marketing monologue on its head. But what has emerged in its place is an enriching conversation that can help you drive growth -- only now with the consumer as co-pilot pointing the way to new opportunity.

Does your business take online reviews seriously? , especially those that are less than praise. Typical knee-jerk reactions often include: Burry your head (the ostrich approach) and hope that the negative reviews’ fallout will just blow-over. Confront bad review (in social networks, etc.) or attempt to deal with all of them in the same way. Thank positive reviewers.…