Pay attention to this blog on the Forrester Research site. It deals with a movement online they call Groundswell in which people engage in sharing activities that can change the way people look at your brands and products.

Already news giants like the BBC Corporation are investing millions to reach out to these social networks to manage the flow of information in and around their brands. The term managing might not even be the appropriate term, since it suggest control. Josh Bernoff of Forrester feels the word “chaos” best describes the movement.

Social networks are key in managing information (especially in crises or new developments) by “giving up power, but in the process gaining customers, loyalty, relevance, and the knowledge to succeed in this new world.”