Communicating with the customer...virtually One of the oldest adages in marketing is that 'work-of-mouth is the best advertising'. Customers have always gotten information and made choices based on word of mouth. But the level of information has exploded with the Internet and social media. The amount of information overwhelms--stories, opinions and facts highlighting both good and bad practices are constantly shared through blogs, wikis and other social networks where people with the same interests come together to discuss those interests. These networks are not only being used by consumers interested in learning more about sustainability, but increasingly by companies as a way to connect directly with their current or potential customers. Product developers are tapping into them to gather intelligence and ideas, directly from they customer, on what kind of products they should provide and how to make their current products better. Starbucks at mystarbucksidea.force.com is a space where users can post and vote on ideas from everything from everything from new products to store design.