Every day we tell our friends and colleagues about experiences good and bad we have had in restaurants, with companies' customer service, and with products we have bought.

But there has been a seismic shift in the way Word of Mouth works and that shift has occurred because technology has democratised communication.

If I had a bad experience with a hotel chain the in the past, I would probably have moaned to a few friends or colleagues and resolved not to stay in one of the chain's hotels again.

Today, within minutes I can communicate my dissatisfaction to millions by posting messages on Internet discussion boards, blogs and newsgroups, by texting and emailing friends, family and colleagues.

Companies around the world are waking up to the fact that their brands have to interact with their customers and prospective customers in a completely new way.

There is an old cliche about the customer being king. What is certainly true is that the customer is now king-maker. Democractic communication has put power into the hands of the customer. It is the customer who decides what your brand values are; it is the customer who present the greatest opportunity to your business as well the greatest threat.

Word of Mouth marketing is here to stay. The first challenge companies face, is how it works, the second is how to turn it into a positive force.