In social media, particularly if you are a big brand or make a bold move, everyone is watching. Opinions -- good and bad -- will be held and expressed, but in the end, your success will depend on how well you have prepared and how well you have established your unique set of success standards.

There are plenty of highly visible, epic so-called "failures" that folks are quick to point out in social media -- and many more small, quiet ones. However, in most cases there are elements of success that can be launch pads for future successes and lessons learned. 

Thanks are due to the aforementioned brands for being among those that took a risk to benefit all of us. These examples may well be a snapshot in time and not fully representative of their current and future successes -- or that of any other brand.

The overall lesson here? Plan for success, prepare for failure.

Denise Zimmerman is president and chief strategy officer of NetPlus Marketing Inc. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dzimmerman.