How social media has affected brands

I read an article on www.prdaily.com that talks about how social media has opened up the public to the inner workings of many companies and how that is scary for them to have their business open to the public.

"Companies are used to do everything behind a wall, but these times are over. Openness and transparency are hallmarks in a digital age," said Candace Kuss, the director of planning at Hill & Knowlton. "Customer service, for example, is definitely public today."

The article also talks about what consumers are now expecting from these companies; As several creative consultants reported, the common trend among brands was last year to ask for an iPhone application, while this year the hot new thing is the social media engagement. It was Richard Baker, the twittering general manager of Liverpool & North Wales Coast, Virgin Trains, who reminded everyone that social media is not a jack-of-all-trades device: "I don't think every customer cares if you have a personality as a brand. Some customers just want information."

To read more visit; http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/27/digital-media-socialnetworking