The Impact of US

So it's finally happened. The You (2006 Time Person of the Year) has collided with Them (2007 Unofficial Time Person of the Year) to create Us (2008 Potential Person of the Year). http://huddlemind.com/2008/02/04/social-media-2006-2008-the-years-of-you-them-and-us/ But what does this really mean for Business? Does it mean that user-driven content is going to change in any significant way? Judging by the extremely challenging task of just getting organisations to harness the value of Web 2 is challenge enough. If we have truly moved into an age where products and services are meaningless in and of themselves and it is only the power of the conversations we have around these products and services (albeit about their functionality or the way they impact on our lives) that drive consumption, what does this mean for the way in which we approach our organisational strategies? I don't have answers to any of these questions but I think that the impact of US could have far reaching consequences for the way we engage both inside of and outside of the firewall.