Today’s Media – Consumer Control, Marketers’ Sophistication

“Where the old-media system was one-way, today’s new media technologies allow consumers to talk back — and tune out. On Internet message boards and blogs, people can slam products they don’t like, celebrate certain brands over others, and help shoppers find the cheapest prices. New technologies do give consumers unprecedented leverage over the marketplace. It’s crucial, however, to realize that marketers are using these same technologies to undermine that leverage, making it harder than ever for audiences to escape, and resist, their advances.”