If we are defined by what we own, we become a commodity. If you manage a loyalty program, you must be concerned about what people will do in the future. And to handle that, you have to be concerned about how they feel. You can't assume that all they all want are discounts on future purchases. Then you making them into a commodity.

Doc Searls Weblog: Let's all be spotted hawks, 2011-Jun-22

I submit that wild and free customers are far more potent participants in the marketplace than “consumers” of “brands.”