Social media use and online word of mouth are growing rapidly around the world. Consumers increasingly value the opinions of peers online over traditional advertising and media sources when making purchase decisions. This represents a major shift that requires brands to focus on facilitating positive word of mouth through social media rather than top-down messaging alone. Effective social media strategies must account for this global trend of empowered online consumers and find ways to encourage advocates and enthusiasts to share endorsements in order to influence peer conversations online.