As we all know, lasting relationships can't be rushed.

How well you tell your story determines how well your customers tell your story.

If a brand genuinely wants to make a social contribution, it should start with who they are, not what they do. For only when a brand has defined itself and its core values can it identify causes or social responsibility initiatives that are in alignment with its authentic brand story.

And if you look at the reality in the United States, where you have more than 40 million people below the poverty line and 42 million on food stamps, and then you look at poverty around the world, clearly the way we're running the engine of capitalism is not serving us well.

Some critics have challenged what the return on investment is for engagement in social media. Others have complained that the metrics don't exist to demonstrate value.

Ensure your employees understand what your brand stands for so they can be your first line of word-of-mouth advertising.

It is a truly powerful phenomenon when a brand makes a stand for what it believes in.