TRENDS 2008

Authenticity Is The New Currency

One of the fundamental nuggets of truth buried under the mounds of rhetoric associated with the "Web 2.0" movement is the insight that your customers now have the means to communicate about your brand with an immense number of their peers. Web sites empowering communities to discuss and evaluate their relationships with your brand have energized millions of consumers.

Truly interactive online presences should not shy away from this vibrant activity. Instead, they should provide authentic and non-intrusive means for these communities to flourish. Fostering this freedom also provides invaluable access to the collective intelligence about your brand.

—Eric Parkinson, Information Architect