The world of marketing and branding is in the midst of a series of transformations. A key skill now is knowing which elements of the old marketing model to discard and which to embrace - and when. Business as we know it is run by sellers for sellers. Marketing as we know it is the product of this seller-centric business system. Now, with the arrival of the information age, this familiar seller-centric world is being turned upside down. Get ready for a new era of buyer-centric business and marketing: where the organized consumer wrests control from organized capital; where helping buyers buy takes precedence over helping sellers sell. Amidst a tidal wave of hype surrounding the Internet and e-commerce, this fundamentally important shift has been overlooked. In this book leading marketing journalist, Alan Mitchell, rectifies the omission. It analyzes the emergence of the consumer agent - a new breed of business, which organizes and represents consumers within the market place and acts as the catalyst of change. It charts the rise of new types of superbrand which flourish, not because of their prowess at selling, but because they act for, and on behalf of, their consumers and clients - efficiently, effectively and enthusiastically. No major market - including consumer goods, retailing, the media and financial services - will emerge unscathed from this revolution. No marketing platitude will remain unchallenged as buyer-centric themes such as is your marketing worth buying? and do you offer value for time and return on attention? force their way up the marketing agenda. Cliches such as the Internet changes everything are a commonplace nowadays. This book shows how this everything reaches further, deeper into the heart of modern business than many yet realize.