Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy

Introduction

Major shifts in the economy, technology, and society have changed the game of business. Business is now forced to play by a different set of rules:

• When every customer can now talk directly to every other customer, it’s like a small town.

• When people listen more to what customers say about a company than they listen to the company advertising, it’s like a small town.

• When it now takes multiple jobs to support a family, it’s like a small town.

• When the individual human voice is valued over corporate mission statements, it’s like a small town.

• When everyone online is trying to band together in small communities, it’s like a small town.

• When everyone wants to buy their products locally, it’s like a small town.

The customers ...