Book excerpt: The explosion of blogs, social networking sites, wikis, video sharing sites, and other powerful digital communications platforms may be the biggest game-changer to impact business since mechanized manufacturing. In today’s Web 2.0 world, company stakeholders--including employees, customers, and investors--are empowered in ways unimaginable just a few years ago, and traditional corporate hierarchies are yesterday’s news. Rather than attempt to turn back the clock and reassert strict, top-down control over stakeholder relationships, the smartest companies worldwide are responding with bold new digital communications strategies based on transparency, authenticity, and inclusion, instead of secrecy, artificiality, and exclusion. International corporate communications guru Paul A. Argenti provides a lively, up-to-the- minute review of the Web 2.0 landscape and analyzes the increasingly central role corporate communications plays in virtually every organizational function. Argenti and coauthor Courtney Barnes advise corporate leaders on how to deploy proven strategies for using new and emerging digital platforms to Manage brand identity and company reputation Build a culture of engagement and transparency Turn stakeholders into “company evangelists” Manage internal communications across time zones and language barriers Recruit and retain the best talent Develop compelling messages based on customer and investor needs and desires Argenti and Barnes provide case studies illustrating digital communications best practices at HP, Southwest Airlines, Sony, Dell, IBM, Starbucks, HBO, FedEx, GE, and other major players. This groundbreaking book will teach you how to gain real, manageable control over your organization’s communications in today’s virtual world.