I am getting to this a bit late, but I do find it worth noting that Hu Jin Tao takes the pulse of netizen thoughts and opinions on a regular basis; in fact, checking BBS comments are one of the first things he does when he gets online. Here are some of the highlights:

“Through the web I also want to know what netizens are thinking about and what their opinions are. I hope to get some suggestions and advice proposed by our netizens to the government and the Party.”

“The web is an important channel for us to understand the concerns of the public and assemble the wisdom of the public.”

“We pay great attention to suggestions and advice from our netizens.”

If the president of China recognizes the importance of listening to IWOM, perhaps brands should as well.

See full transcript of the chat here

Danwei Link here

Link to Chinese media coverage