distinct groups, or communities of consumers. In the context of traditional marketing, these “communities” are an abstract representation of aggregate data. By contrast, in the context of Web 2.0 marketing, communities have a much more tangible impact. The advent of Web 2.0 communication tools has greatly expanded the scope of peer-to-peer communication. Now, large groups of consumers across a limitless geography can instantly share information about their favorite products, their distaste for a certain brand, or the great customer-service experience they had with a particular company.

Why Big-Name Brands Are Making Their Voices Heard
The list of companies making well-publicized forays into online communities continues to grow. In March 2008, The New York Times featured an article that highlighted Kimberly-Clark’s sponsorship deal with Meetup, the online social utility that helps people organize meetings and start clubs based on similar areas of interest. Reportedly, the company has pledged to pay the sponsorship fees for 100 Meetup groups over the course of the next six months. Kimberly-Clark, a well-established manufacturer of personal care products, including well-known baby brands such as “Huggies,” clearly sees the value in joining the conversations taking place among parents of infants and small children. Now, it is pursuing this strategy through Meetup, a prominent player in the Web 2.0 arena. And it is certainly not the only Fortune 500 company to step up its social media marketing efforts. The article referenced above also describes similar campaigns by American Express, a founding sponsor of “Make Mine a Million Dollar Business,” Toyota, Nestlé, and a host of additional big-name brands. What is driving this trend exactly? Naturally, it is the linchpin of all marketing: greater access to consumers. Many companies are convinced that Web 2.0 has ushered in a new marketing paradigm—one based on communication, wherein peer influence is more important than ever in guiding purchase decisions. These companies are betting that this new model has more than just staying power, but enormous potential for growth.

A Few Caveats
While no real obstacles limit access to online communities, participation often means surrendering control over messaging and branding. Customers have no obligation to couch their comments in a favorable light, and even when they rave about a particular product or brand, there is no guarantee their praise will be in line with corporate messaging. Further, employees who decide to join the conversation may inadvertently stray from accepted branding or messaging guidelines. For marketers accustomed to the luxury of serial content reviews prior to publication, the free-form style of Web 2.0 can be a little scary. However, companies that seek too much control over the exchanges in online communities can potentially do far worse damage. Once consumers sense that companies are no longer interested in engaging in an honest dialogue, they tend to take the conversation elsewhere.

Best Practices of Web 2.0 Community Marketing
Though marketing through online communities is still new, authorities on the subject have affirmed several best practices. The most successful adopters of Web 2.0 community marketing are those companies that:

• Turn customers into advocates.
• Engage in a dialogue with and facilitate conversations among customers.
• Mark communications with a high degree of authenticity.
• Stay committed to basic corporate messaging.
• Devote considerable time, marketing budget, and planning to these efforts.

As more companies experiment with Web 2.0 community marketing, shared knowledge on this topic will continue to grow. So what lessons can companies take away at this point? The adoption of Web 2.0 tools by big-name brands seems to signal a shifting paradigm in marketing. Because all paradigm shifts come with a learning curve, those companies that ramp up the fastest on Web 2.0 tools will be the first to implement a winning strategy.