In this final post of our three-part series on guilt-proofing your brand, I will cover some actionable tactics you can take from both the marketing and social perspectives. However, be forewarned that this is not a step-by-step cheat sheet. Each conflict is unique. Take this outline and modify it based on the severity and complexity of your situation.

Quick background, Jim and I worked together at Luckie and Company in Birmingham, Ala., (ROLL TIDE!) in the late 2000s. Since then, we have established not only a personal friendship, but a growing respect for our mutual industries. Jim's speciality is public relations, you can find additional information at the bottom of this article about him and his practice.

There's an interesting truth in business that the more successful that you are, the more enemies you make. Such is the case with any brand – including yours. What none of us want to admit is that for all the efforts we make to craft positive perception around whatever we support, there is someone in the wings waiting to exploit it or tear it down.

What do you do when your social media audience as effectively changed the consumerization of your previous business model?

So I started my day by reading an article regarding generation Y and its single-handed responsibility for the destruction of the music industry. Now I do not intend to give you a summation of the article as I will not steal its thunder. You should read it.

John Frost asks:

"In this post-frontpage era of digital journalism, what should the homepage look like? What are the absolute essentials?"

This question made me immediately think about the way that I develop content for this blog, and find myself incredibly embarrassed. It's funny, you can see "best practices" not being utilized in content elsewhere and be completely oblivious to it when it comes to your own regurgitation.

"Part One" of this series provided the foundation required to determine whether or not you should expand your integrated marketing and social directives on a global scale. Now ask yourself whether it makes sense to hire an external vendor or service to speak on your behalf in a given language. If the answer is yes, then what are the necessary steps to ensure they meet brand guidelines and gain a deep understanding of your businesses culture?

My online career began way back when Sony DiscMans still roamed the Earth – in 1994. One of many sermons we preached in those days is that by developing a website, you could reach a <shouts> "GLOBAL CUSTOMER BASE." </shouts>. At that time, the world was still very big conceptually. Digital communications was still in its infancy, and large businesses and brands that constructed a digital presence did so in a cautiously optimistic manner.

One of the countless things that internal marketing departments frequently overlook is their own staff's social graph. More often than not, every company has staffers with active social media footprints. Brands need to understand that no matter how robust their corporate social graph is, it will only get them so far.