A recent article by Rebecca Lieb of Clickz called Who's In Control? is close but ultimately misses some key points.  She comments on the lack of control that we Internet marketers now have as a result of the proliferation of media, consumer generated content and new wireless and mobile technologies.  Some good points by Lieb:

• Consumers aren't in control but they're calling a lot more of the shots
• Key opportunities blogs, online reviews, viral
• Advertisers and Internet marketers seek engagement which is precisely what can lead to backlash
• Internet marketers are still stuck in the 90s notion that the web is for publishing not participation

Where she misses the boat is with her conclusion "The more you know and understand...the more you can control the message you send and receive".  Close but that still sounds a little like that 90s mentality.

Control is dead, no question.  Influence is the ticket to marketing success.  The key to this is, as Lieb alludes to, participation.  Simply stated the solution is opening up a participatory channel within your marketing organization.  While the Internet is the natural tool for the channel, the challenge remains changing that 90s mentality so that your organization can adopt the new process.