Web 2.0 lets brands become a part of the consumer conversations that are already happening.

Throughout my career, I've been responsible for marketing programs designed to facilitate meaningful interactions between people and the brands that they consume. The most fun, provocative and successful of these seem to have one thing in common: an end-goal of bridging the gap between customer expectations and the company's brand objectives. It's logical, it's feasible and when executed appropriately, it can have a huge impact on the brand, the customer and the overall success of the company. However, I'm always surprised when companies fail to recognize and embrace these customer-driven practices. Doing so will not only move companies forward, but will also take innovation to another level, which stands to benefit every one of us. I hope you enjoy my take on customer collaboration, and that you'll begin to think about how you can incorporate some of these ideas into your ongoing practices. 
 
Out with the old, in with the new
Traditional marketing practices still play an important role in communications today, but by their very nature, these methods fall short when applied to today's average consumer who is always-on, always-mobile, always-multi-tasking and always-wanting more. Traditional methods -- i.e., broadcast, direct, and event marketing -- worked well when consumers were content to be the captive audience. However, the fragmentation of traditional media has made it increasingly difficult to even locate your customer, let alone catch them at a time when they're receptive to listening. With Web 2.0 technologies propelling the pervasiveness of social media, marketers need to re-evaluate existing methods and philosophies of traditional marketing models in order to engage customers with unprecedented precision. 
 
The next evolution
Most forward thinking marketers are talking about engaging their customers in a collaborative manner, but few have actually taken action toward doing so. Today's savvy marketers are quickly realizing that viewing the customer as merely a target is a critical mistake. In fact, referring to the people that consume their products as anything other than people is a mistake. It's time for marketers to stop telling customers what they think they want to hear, and start asking these people what they'd like to talk about. 
 
Marketers at the forefront of the communication revolution have embraced customer collaboration as an integral component of effective marketing and product development. Some of the world's leading brands have dedicated divisions with titles such as Consumer Insights Group, Consumer Cultures Group or Community Engagement Practices, which are specifically dedicated to garnering insight into the consumer mindset and then leveraging that insight to foster and nurture relationships with these people. Many companies are creating online customer communities, which give customers a voice and an opportunity to play an integral role in developing the future of the brands that they are passionate about. 
 
When implementing an online customer community there are several ground rules to abide by. First, the goal of the community must not focus on achieving a specific outcome, but rather should focus on achieving an open, honest and direct conversation with and among your customers: full transparency. By suspending your company's agenda, you assure community members that their favorite brand is truly there to listen to and sometimes act on input.
 
Second, it's important for companies to realize that collaborating with customers is not about "letting go," it's about getting a handle on where things are moving. By enabling customers to connect with the company and with each other in ways previously overlooked -- such as social networking tools -- the possibilities become infinite. Marketers at the forefront of the communication revolution have discovered viable product and innovation ideas, advertising and marketing campaign strategies and have identified emerging market trends through their customer communities. 
 
Lastly, community members need to easily and quickly understand exactly how their involvement makes an impact; they want to know their time and input matter to your company and that they are an integral part of the greater customer community. It is critical to share specific insights, key discoveries and the specific action the company will undertake based on insight gained from the community as a whole. 
 
The most innovative brands are engaging their customers in a collaborative relationship to understand how to respond to changes in behaviors and marketing trends without giving up control. These are just a few of the best practices companies should be mindful of when implementing customer communities and aligning business with the communication revolution.
 
New world, new results
The next generation of consumer-focused marketing is about inviting customers into the marketing process, with the end-goal being to transform meaningful dialogue into actionable insights. Organizations can benefit from these insights in numerous ways, including driving customer loyalty and advocacy, acquiring new customers, visualizing vital customer and competitive insight, uncovering emerging market trends and discovering new opportunities. 
Customer collaboration is not limited to brand marketers; it is a process that applies to diverse groups including advertisers and product development teams, as well as customer retention, research and insights departments.  Whether you like it or not, customers are out there talking about their experiences with your brand every day. It's up to you to align your organization with this reality in order to benefit from these discussions. It's up to you to join, champion and propel the communication revolution. 
 
Justin Cooper is founder and chief innovation + marketing of Passenger, Inc. Read full bio.