The success of our new economy will largely rest on how well companies start honest, open dialogues with their consumers. Period.

No more wordy positioning briefs. No more boardroom marketing speak. No more talking at the consumer. No more conferences on whether social media and marketing matter (BTW, they do.). Success begins with honest open dialogues, and honest open dialogues begin when one person listens and the other gets a chance to speak. Today, it’s the consumer’s turn – and companies that want to thrive in this economy better start listening – or at the very least, start getting used to shutting up a little bit.

We live in a hyper-connected world where information is accessible at any time and any place. And it’s spawning a whole generation of consumers that are more intelligent, more conscious and more aware than ever before. Consumers have surpassed traditional marketing attempts to influence their behavior, and are reshaping the landscape to fit personal values, goals and objectives.

All around me are smaller cyclones spinning in every direction, whipping around information fast enough that I catch a glimpse, but no more…

The constant struggle to reach the simple and profound message to reach your audience.