When I was doing public affairs for Patagonia during the 1990s, we were under constant bombardment by consumers not pleased with our strong stances on social and environmental issues.  I had bomb threats, death threats and people picketing the building.  Back then, I looked to the press for damage control of my corporate reputation, not my corporate blog.  How times have changed.  Now, companies need to keep a close eye on social media to impact their brand, bottom line and even employee relations. 

Being nimble, adaptable and agile is not just for upstart companies.  It works just as well with those who built their brands largely on 'old media'.  The Wall Street Journal has a recent article on the basic strategies available to companies for addressing negative customer and employee-generated content on the Web.  As the article reveals, even a small investment in creating forums for employees and customers can pay big dividends.  Read how established brands such as Proctor & Gamble and McDonald's are building buzz about their brands while creating key feedback loops, without forgetting what built their businesses in the first place. 

I'll take detergent gripes over death threats any day.