Steve Rubel, Senior VP, Director of Insights, Edelman Digital at BRITE 09

Image by Laughing Squid via Flickr

This post comes live from the BRITE conference on Branding, Innovation, and Technology at Columbia University in New York City.

Steve Rubel, Senior VP, Director of Insights, Edelman Digital

Five Digital Trends to Watch for 2009

1: Satisfaction Guaranteed: younger online consumers are learning not to dial 1-800 numbers for
customer care (via Amanda Mooney). "Google isn't just a search engine, it&39;s a reputation management engine. It&39;s where brands are shaped every single day." It starts with being good to
your customers.

2. Media Reforestation: Big change in media as it&39;s one ecosystem, with some giants and some smaller players. Everyone has to become a media company. Some can be content aggregators.

3. Less is the New More. Information overload is taking its toal. Filters are in. Selective ignorance is in. Provide utility. Sow seeds with peers, grow plants with pros.

4. Corporate All-stars: Social media whizzes with their personal brands can be corporate all-stars. They&39;re the great players that help teams win championships. Blogs, Twitter connect customers and all-stars. Equip and support active listening by these stars.

5. The Power of Pull: People are searching for their own info, so cater to that.