In: consumers taking control.

From Coke’s recent cancelation of its white Christmas cans to Gap reverting back to its signature logo, 2011 seemed to be the year of empowered consumers. But we’ve been writing about this phenomenon for some time now. The proof is out there that we have major influence over what big corporations can and cannot do (just study the branding needs of Occupy Wall Street for inspiration). So what could 2012 have in store for us?

Let’s look back at a few of the year’s biggest redos.

Dominos Pizza

For years, Domino’s had tried to get by with subpar pizza simply because they were fast, cheap, and often the most convenient. But after a video on YouTube chronicled two employees doing dastardly deeds to customers’ food, Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle issued a public apology and steered the company in a 180-degree turn. The company took responsibility for its lack of quality and began truly listening to their customers, changing recipes and even seeking out their harshest critics in an attempt to give their pizza a second chance. You’d have to figure being featured on a national commercial eating much-improved pizza would turn them into evangelists.

Ford Motors

Ford relied on its upgraded customer-feedback program to really listen to consumers. And, when they complained about the readability and messy menus of their MyFord Touch systems, they abandoned old technology and created a better version with bigger type and icons and more user-friendly navigation. Maps, voice-recognition and ebook support were all available with this update. What did Ford learn? That listening to consumers increases loyalty and gives you insight on what they might want in the future, so you can produce better products going forward. As a bonus, satisfying your customers based solely on their feedback generates positive buzz and more word-of-mouth recommendations—thus increasing your customer pool.

L.L. Bean

L.L. Bean has always made a point of adjusting based on consumer feedback. For 99 years now, the outdoor retail company has paid attention and acted appropriately. In 1912, the now-famous brand released its first item: a pair of hunting boots, which were sold to 100 people. When 90 customers returned complaining of leaks, the company graciously refunded them and borrowed more money to improve its product. The company, in fact, requests consumer feedback: Senior vice president and CMO Steve Fuller says that consumers alone are able to determine how satisfactory its wares are.

But that’s all in the past. What could brands do in the future to entice consumers and brand loyalty? Let’s get creative and come up with a few promotions to win customers back.

• Bank of America executives are seen shackled outside their offices to apologize and win back your business.
• Jim Skinner, CEO of McDonald’s, must eat his own fast food exclusively for a month.
• Exxon Mobil tyrants pledge to go a year without using their cars.
• Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke must spend Christmas living off a Wal-Mart storeroom salary.
• Maybe even Victoria’s Secret rewards men with a sexy lingerie calendar when they purchase $50 or more (just don’t tell their wives).

And those are just a few ideas. The point is that we now have the power to dictate corporate action.

Which brands are on your “naughty” list this year—and what could they do to make nice again?

While we’ve seen some brilliantly executed, forward-thinking work this year, a few strategies remain stuck in the ol’ days of advertising. Product placement—usually seen as a very inauthentic tactic—still haunts much of today’s media. Do brands really think it accomplishes much more than ten minutes in the public spotlight? Puh-lease.

Her highness’ nine-minute vid for “Telephone” overlays a mediocre Tarantino-esque plot with a number of shameless brand sponsors. Namely Miracle Whip, Virgin Mobile, and dating site Plenty of Fish (??), which all make brief but overt cameos. What’s going on here? Maybe you can connect the dots, because frankly, I’m at a loss:

(View the explicit version at your own risk.)

Then there’s The Road—a post-apocalyptic flick full of overly indulgent food endorsements. It features strategically placed munchies like Cheetos, Dole, Vitamin Water, and Coca-Cola (Worst Product Placement has the full rundown). It’s enough stuff in your face to make you gag.

Apple even joined the party, practically commandeering an episode of Modern Family as it geared up for the iPad’s launch.

Think you can pull a fast one on us? Get real: we won’t pick up your drink because Viggo took a swig, and we’re not looking for love online because we saw it in a video. Paid endorsements are painfully obvious and your audience won’t take the bait. In fact, they might just be turned off completely. Examples like these illustrate the exact wrong approach to associating a brand with a piece of content. Instead, brands should be producing their own content––devoid of interruptions, representative of their audience and actually worthy of remembrance.

Seen any other examples of lazy marketing lately? Send ‘em our way in the comments below—or tweet to us at @postadvertising!

While many media-conscious brands have engaged Twitter in some form, others have stuck to inefficient strategies. Bad Twitter usage—either through mass spamming or one-way messaging—makes any brand look out of touch. Twitter’s real power is sown when it’s used in supporting roles or as a base to amplify consumer-brand relationships. But some are doing it right. Take super-brands like Universal and Coca Cola.

For Valentine’s Day this year, New England Confectionary is using iPhone and web applications to encourage consumers to tweet messages about its Sweetheart candies. Another iPhone application, tvChatter, hopes to integrate Twitter into the TV-watching experience, and NBC got on board to further involve Twitter with its overall media strategy.

If not used with a clear vision and ongoing focus, branding efforts on Twitter may end up as inefficient as old-age models. However, if used correctly, there’s great potential there. So tweep up.

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With just a tweet and a Facebook update, Coca Cola began a global, viral push. The campaign is particularly significant because it lacks traditional media promotion.

If you skipped the viewing, this “Happiness Machine” video on YouTube observes a Coke machine that was actually placed in the cafeteria of a Queens, New York, college. It spits out free soda, and the students are all smiles, sharing their drinks with classmates. Then things get weird as the device starts dispensing flowers, pizza, a party sub, and a balloon animal. It’s all part of the brand’s “Open Happiness” initiative. The best part? The reactions are authentic; they aren’t scripted. In short, it’s entertaining and has universal appeal.

Two weeks and more than one million views later, the video’s virality shows another brand becoming successful storytellers.

Build great content and they will come. They’ll even spread the smiles.