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.

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.

Rarely does one construct a brand that has equal amounts of cultural significance and product association.  Recently I have had the opportunity to work with Orlando Harley- Davidson, consulting them through Big Block Studios on their social media, content marketing and interactive integration. You would think that a rough-and-tumble brand like Harley-Davidson would just give the finger to the world and not give a shit about aggressive optimization.