All are being hailed as social media innovations and harbingers of the death of traditional advertising. More accurately, they are examples of big brands scrambling to cope with consumer empowerment and a fractured media landscape.

Pepsi’s “Refresh Everything” campaign is the most ambitious. At the very least it is a great stunt. The company made the news by deciding to not run Super Bowl ads. That announcement probably generated more media exposure than running Super Bowl ads would have. Beyond the stunt, the campaign is a brave experiment. Pepsi is gambling that distributing $20 million across thousands of bloggers/activists will gain more media exposure than $20 million spent during Super Bowl. They’re gambling on the social media “network effect.” And they are gambling that “do-gooders” will not be embarrassed to attach their ideas to a big corporate brand. We think Pepsi could have given the campaign more of a traditional media push. Regardless, if it works, Pepsi will have succeeded in killing two birds with one stone – they will effectively counter their “big bad global brand” image and multiply their media investment. What is notable about this campaign is that it is all about mission and has nothing to do with product.

Domino’s “Pizza Turnaround,” on the other hand, it is all about the product. It’s the story of how the company changed its standard pizza formula in response to customer feedback. No mission, but very conversation-centric. The launch video struck just the right note. It’s lighter and less ambitious than the world-changing Pepsi campaign, but then again we are talking about soda pop and fast food here. Because it comes off as honest, responsive and relevant to the product, this campaign is likely to connect. It will drive reconsideration and trial. Whether the “new” product can live up to the promise, well … Regardless, as an example of a good conversation-centric marketing campaign, it’s a hot four-cheese success!

Finally, the Taco Bell “Drive-Thru Diet” campaign. Hmm… Rather than leverage the conversation to address the company’s real product issues, like Domino’s is trying, or focus on a mission, like Pepsi, Taco Bell is attempting to use an integrated media strategy to do that old fashioned marketing trick – sell us a counter-factual pile of beans. They’re going to try and get us to believe that stuffing down fatty foods in our cars can help us lose weight. What? Who is going to buy that? I can believe that a Subway lettuce sandwich is a better choice than a greasy burger. But can I really believe that a Taco Bell “diet” will make me skinny?

Yet, despite the critique, I have to applaud all three efforts.

We are living in interesting times. And if there is one truth in our new conversation-centric marketing world, it is that brands need to be fearless and try new things. Cut the strings of caution! Experiment. Even if Taco Bell customers don’t lose weight, Domino’s doesn’t deliver and Pepsi falls flat, there’s little downside. That’s the irony of consumer empowerment. Brands have lost a lot of authority, but they’re no longer expected to be perfect either.

Here’s an article about the potential end of “free TV,” as the nation’s top networks contemplate moving to a cable-like pay-TV model to compensate for declining viewership and lost ad revenue.

The lesson for marketers on the road ahead: we’ll have to be flexible, as old rules are cast aside and new opportunities emerge.

I’m struck by today’s images of protesters in Iran, some of which are no doubt captured stealthily via cell phones and smart phones. By actual witnesses and participants… not professional journalists.

The lesson for future marketers: authenticity and immediacy can trump slick and polished.

I’m bemused by this story about teens working to curb their Facebook obsession. Hopefully, they’ll share their advice with their increasingly obsessed parents and grandparents!

The lesson for soothsaying marketers: social media has inserted itself firmly and fixedly into the mainstream. We must embrace this, and leverage its potential.

Indeed, technological and behavioral changes have quickly, profoundly changed how we market products and services. And yet, at the core of all this evolution, consumers still exhibit a fundamental desire for engagement (such as fabulous cable shows like Breaking Bad or Mad Men), truth (from the front lines of Iran or anywhere) and a social connection (online and in real life). These are the timeless tenets of effective marketing. Stick to them, and let’s go boldly into the new decade!

Ahem…after I check my Facebook Live Feed.

(Serious fans of Glee call themselves “Gleeks.” As far as I’m concerned, Gleek is a Superfriends space monkey. But that’s a debate for another day.)

As Ad Age opines, “There is no other show on TV right now that gets as much free, voluntary social media marketing courtesy of fans.”

So how can your business hit the right notes and bust the right moves to engender this kind of enthusiasm? Short of hiring the glorious Jane Lynch, the lesson to take away from this viral success is that you need to make an emotional connection with your audience – in your stores, in your marketing, at every possible touchpoint.

It all comes back to your brand. Is it conversation-worthy? Frame it right and customers and prospects will happily help sing your praises.

Harness the power of social media. Register for your free presentation today and find out how you can use social media to build your brand and business.