This is a good read on the history of marketing, advertising and branding on two leading cola brands. There is an interesting take on employing old marketing tactics and how they can blow up in the company's face.
Given the proliferation of social media platforms, everyone now has an opportunity to use their voice in ways people from the past could never do. Opinions can spread quickly across the globe in a matter of seconds especially if the opinion is coming from an influencer.
One strategy is to use social media to your advantage to get ahead of the game by asking consumers what they want to see in their brands before spending money on an expensive ad campaign. Reviewing case studies on how other brands approached a hot topic can also shed light into a situation.
The final key is using the feedback to develop campaigns that are going to WOW instead of disappoint.