We used to say that “the only thing worse than being talked about is NOT being talked about.” But things have changed. You see, when the advertising challenge was to “cut through.” repetition was its own virtue; while in this Age of Conversation, the factors which determine marketing success are more closely related to the intangible factors of trust, reputation and social currency.

The Ruby Pseudo team have a great post on the Teen Commandments for Brands Wanting to Go Digital – but the same lessons can easily be applied to any audience and any form of engagement that is based on two-way (or polyphonic) communication. Commandment Ten states:

10. Finally, with Facebook and MySpace etc, please remember that you're in their (digital) space: they didn't ask you to be there, and they can't very well ask you to leave, so talk nicely. And if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all...

Just because intangible factors are harder to measure does not mean they are less relevant when it comes to your brand. It just means that you have to use insight not as IDEATION but as execution … and that means a whole lot more listening and much less shouting. Or as Mark Hancock said, “It is not the aspiration that is at fault - it is the implementation”.

This is more important than ever. In What’s Greater than Sex?, Scott Monty shares the results of a recent survey into the media habits of American men in the 18-35 age group. One of the key findings is that the Internet is considered more important (as in “can’t live without) than TV. But look also at the context in which these men live their lives:

• 63% have a smart phone and one in four use their mobile device to connect to the Web
• 40% use the Internet for more than 22 hours a week    
• 36% say they can’t live without the Internet for socializing
• 33% say they can’t live without online entertainment    
• 59% notice online ads
• 35% like ads that allow them to play a game    
• 34% like online ads that allow them to participate in a contest

Obviously there is a seismic shift underway: 

Why is this important? Because the printing press ... and for that matter, blogs, social networks, video and picture sharing tools, conversational and other "Web 2.0" sites are not just tools. They don't just FACILITATE communication and interaction. They MEDIATE it. The impact of this is profound. 

If the way that we understand the world is, in turn, mediated by it, then those brands that do NOT engage with new media are placed at a significant disadvantage. This goes beyond the question of whether your company or brand "should have a website" or a "blog", but whether it is important for you to be part of the web of signification that creates the worlds that we live in.