Despite Debate, Brands Find Value on Twitter - ClickZ

Despite Debate, Brands Find Value on Twitter - ClickZ: "It's been called a tech-geek fad, a business flop-to-be, and a waste of time for most marketers, but the fact is big name brands are on Twitter. While detractors argue brands don't even belong on the quick messaging platform, they are there -- from Ford to Dunkin' Donuts to Whole Foods. They're engaging in experiments with customer service, branding, and corporate culture-building in the decidedly public forum.

Some see Twitter as an extension of the marketing department; others view it as a customer service tool, and some say it's best for corporate communications.

Scott Monty tackles it from the communications side. Before joining Ford Motor Company in July as its global digital and multimedia communications manager -- a position the automaker created for him -- he had a decent following through his personal account on Twitter. 'I wanted to get down and personal with people,' said Monty, who believes Twitter enables that more so than Facebook, MySpace, or blogs. Getting personal made sense for Ford, which, according to Monty, hopes to 'humanize the brand.'"