Sony (Japan) is one of the few firms for which I have a great deal of respect. They seem to understand discontinuity much better than their competition:
"..."As the information gap ceases to exist, the power of each individual has become stronger than in the past when corporate PR still worked, and it will get even stronger in three to 10 years.
"Except for some countries, the era of mass production is being replaced by a power shift to individuals," which would change the way products are chosen, he said."
Very nicely put.
Sony (USA) is the firm responsible for atrocities like Connect.