Andy Sernovitzs has written the definitive post on how communities work – common sense prevails.
Preview? You don’t get to control them; you need to speak in a human voice and there will be some negatives.
Ideas from Customer Service is the New Marketing #3
Thanks Andy.
A Human Voice 
I know you think brands should be wary of community participation … what’re your thoughts relating to the new Forrester thinking: Marketers/Agencies need to connect with, an become an integral part of, consumer communities.
“Today’s agencies fail to help marketers engage with consumers, who, as a result, are becoming less brand-loyal and more trusting of each other. To turn the tide, marketers will move to the Connected Agency — one that shifts: from making messages to nurturing consumer connections; from delivering push to creating pull interactions; and from orchestrating campaigns to facilitating conversations. Over the next five years, traditional agencies will make this shift; they will start by connecting with consumer communities and will eventually become an integral part of them.”
http://blogs.forrester.com/marketing/2008/02/the-connected-a.html
Hi Mark:
I wouldn’t say brands should be wary. I think they should understand how communities work before diving in. The two biggest issues I see are willingness to give up control and the inability to speak in a human voice.
Your brand is now out of your control – more in some categories than others – but paying attention to all the things people are doing with your brand, and doing your best to support and leverage it in a helpful, positive way. That is what I see working well to develop connections in the future.
Tom O’B