Facebook redecorating its interface by adding Timeline and Open Graph, Twitter involved in political advertising, Google+ intensifying gamification features, sleeker design of Apple 4s, Samsung tablets priced reasonably, daily deals and healthcare IT—these are some of the innovations that the world was fed the past few weeks or months. But amidst all the updates and refurbishing, there is one constant factor that seemingly assumes the commander-in-chief post—consumers. The way things are planned, executed and evaluated boils down to the people. And yes, tech advancements are going the consumer-centric direction.

This idea, together with movers and shakers of the present-day business routes are discussed in Brian Solis’ “The End of Business As Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consumer Revolution”. Seasoned author and marketing blogger, Solis tackles the modern relationship of consumer and business models. He said, “This book is about the new age of business, consumerism and the individual’s role in defining the future of everything. Simply by discussing the experiences we’ve had with brands and business on review sites, in blogs, and in online communities, we’ve created a new world of consumer influence. The consumer revolution is already underway, and the question is: How do you better understand the role you play in this production as a connected or social consumer as well as business professional?”

In an interview with Forbes.com, Solis gave his insights on the now and then business, especially with social media becoming one the premier drivers of growth: “What I try to tackle in The End of Business as Usual is the migration from a rigid business to that of an adaptive business. Rigid businesses were/are very top down focused from strategy to execution, from marketing to broadcast, and from experience to service. Businesses thrived for decades with a rigid model and there’s still plenty of opportunities to squeeze it for profitability over the next few years.”

He added, “The future however, requires an augmented approach which may over time evolve into a standard framework. I have to say that this transformation is partly due to social media, but mostly this revolution is led by the rising tide of new consumerism and flooded by the perception of brand oppression and the disregard of customer value from a human perspective.”

Gaining advantage over competition in the current realm is no easy job. But seeing what others don’t could be just that shining moment you could possibly own. The book serves as a recipe on how to fuel the engine of businesses by studying consumer behaviour and how the “ego-system” has panned out and become social media’s anchor to success.

The easy-to-digest bits of the book are empirical truths on how people power works even inside the technology scene. The “digital culture” is redefining the way organizations respond to business needs, consumerism, work arenas and even at home. Simply put, the collective “What I want’s” could actually dictate the future of an enterprise. It is the end of business as usual.