Merely having a Facebook or Twitter strategy is putting marketing tactics ahead of your brand’s strategy. I would add that focusing on tactics may work in the immediate short term, but it is a recipe for brand confusion and — worse — brand failure.

This award-winning ad for the Argentinian national lottery is an amazing (and hilarious) example of localization branding. (Loteria de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, from "Ads of the World")

What is remarkable is the strong part that localization plays in Coke’s brand advertising strategy. They consistently demonstrate the ability to speak in a unique and credible voice to individual nations and cultures. Watch the two examples.

Alan Siegel, co-founder of brand strategy leader Siegel+Gale, gives a fascinating TED talk where he applies the art of simplification to insurance policies, bank loans and mutual fund agreements. He takes issue with the complexity and legal jargon that undermines many legal and business communication tools.

Multi-grain Pringles snacks? Are you kidding? Pringles are supposed to be potato chips! Brand extensions are getting a bit diluted. Same goes for Cheerios. Aren't Cheerios supposed to be made from oats!? Now there is 7-grain Cheerios!

Is FIJI Water eroding its way to commodity status? Five years ago you could only find FIJI Water in high-class establisments. By contrast, I took this photo in Walgreens today.

There is tremendous value in using social media to promote brands. The real value, though, lies in integrating the social media strategy into a broader brand strategy that includes a deep understanding of your customers’ needs and desires. It is not enough to have social media tools; it is about using the right social media tools to nurture and cultivate an ongoing conversation with your most esteemed customers and fans. Where are YOUR customers hanging out online? How can you bring your conversation to them? Do they tweet about your service on Twitter? Comment about your product on Facebook? Buzz about your company on Google? With what promotions can you reward your most valuable customers? How can you provide them with an efficient and painless user experience?

What happens to a company like Domino's or Comcast when it fails to properly use social media to connect with its customers? The brand becomes irrelevant, a casualty of missed opportunities. Don't let fear of failure keep you from getting in the game: Use social media to follow, engage and challenge your customers. Remain relevant.

Storytelling is the way to build a strong brand nowadays. Take it from Gary Vaynerchuck. He is possibly the most passionate entrepreneur I know of. He really cuts to the core of what most makes a brand "click".

How do brands become famous? They own a word or phrase in the minds of their consumers. Business owners can learn a lot about branding from Hollywood. Especially at awards shows. Watching the Best Actress presentation from the 2010 Oscars, I was reminded of how well brand-positioned the best actors are in Hollywood. In fact, many of the A-list actors are instantly recognizable by a word or a phrase.

Online content providers are in a doldrums. Consumers simply do not want to subscribe to pay for content. Yet why do consumers value the iTunes Music Store and The Wall Street Journal while they complain about paying for other content? Why is HBO so popular while network TV is falling to pieces? They each offer differentiated products that the competition cannot.

In this podcast, we interview Christopher Korody. As an award-winning entrepreneur with a passion for social media, Chris explores its power to create awareness, foster interest, stimulate consideration, simplify purchase and nurture loyalty. This passion leverages his unique skills in business development, content creation and media production. Chris has previously served as Senior Creative Director with Dick Clark Productions and as the Vice President Senior Creative Director with Jack Morton Worldwide. He currently develops program strategy and creates content for social media initiatives.

This week we speak with Dr. Andrea Scott, Professor of Marketing at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business and Management in Malibu. She discusses the importance of doing market research and understanding consumer behavior when conducting a branding campaign.