You are in control

Marketers today are fond of saying, "Consumers are in control."

This is bunk.

Yes, thanks to social media consumers can now choose to share content and write whatever they want about your brand.

Thanks to technologies like Tivo and satellite radio they can avoid your ads.

Thanks to the internet they can also compare prices and shop more retailers for the same item putting more pressure on margins.

But when it comes to your brand, you are in control.

You create the message. You decide the media. You plan the promotions. You set the tone for the conversation.

Consumers are only in control if you give them the keys and let them take the wheel.

Marketing hasn't changed. It has only become more complex. It's still about creating a message that resonates and getting it in front of your potential customers at a time and place that's most relevant to them.

Brand management has never been more important than it is right now. Just because it's harder doesn't mean it can't be done.