Meet The Connected Consumer

Garrick Schmitt discusses findings from two studies on consumer adoption of Web 2.0 technologies and social media. The 2008 study found that consumers were more sophisticated users of social media than expected, embracing tools like Twitter, RSS feeds, and tags. It also found that social connections and peer recommendations heavily influence purchasing decisions over editorial reviews or traditional retailers. The key takeaway is that tomorrow's leading brands will adapt to changing consumer behaviors driven by digital tools instead of trying to change consumer behaviors.