The impact of online conversation on the Interbrand Top 100 global brand survey  

Every day people are having conversations online. Forming around passions and interests, millions of blogs and hundreds of Social networks, message boards, wikis and media-sharing sites are discussing a vast array of subjects.

Facilitated by technology, often referenced as Web 2.0, voluminous amounts of Content are uploaded daily to participation sites. These sites, collectively known as Social media, make it easy for consumers to connect seamlessly with those around them: publishing their views openly, often for all to see. And conversations regularly revolve around brands.

As audiences seize control, attention and influence shifts outside of a brand’s immediate control. Companies need to recognise that people are engaging with brands with or without them. This presents both a risk and an opportunity.