The Digital Handshake: Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media

PREFACE: THE INSURGENT CONSUMER

He doesn't pay attention to advertising anymore. He no longer trusts corporate spokespeople or their messages. In fact, according to the 9th Annual Edelman Trust Barometer^[1] people now say their most credible source of information about a company and its products is "a person like me"—a trust level in peers that, in the United States, has skyrocketed from only 22 percent a few years ago to 60 percent today.

This lack of trust has major bottom-line consequences. More than 80 percent of people surveyed say they would refuse to buy goods or services from a company they do not trust. And new research also shows that negative consumer comments on blogs have a direct impact on corporate brands, earnings, and share prices.

The fact is that consumers are no longer willing to put up with shoddy products, indifferent service, and lack of accountability and transparency. What's more, they are demanding a decision-making voice in shaping the products, services, and media they consume. TiVo is one example of this new take-charge attitude on the part of consumers. Another is the fact that, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project survey,^[2] half of all teens in this country—and 57 percent of those who use the Internet—have created a blog or Web page, posted original artwork, photography, stories or videos online, or re-mixed content into their own creations. ...