Professor Michael Solomon is an expert in consumer behavior and marketing. He has published extensively on topics related to consumer behavior, branding, and digital engagement. In this document, he discusses how digital technologies have empowered consumers to become more engaged with brands in new ways. Marketers must shift from treating consumers as passive "couch potatoes" to seeing them as active participants in brand meaning and marketing activities through user-generated content and virtual interactions. Consumer engagement through digital channels can result in higher profits if brands facilitate consumer participation and co-creation.