In the age of digital media, when brand reputations are made and broken so fast, it is always great to see that some brands truly do care and still try to reach out to their customers. Case in point: Overstock.com, an online retailer of brand-name merchandise, recently launched in the UK.

Not too long ago, a Guardian tech journalist has used Twitter to ask for recommendations on the best websites selling luxury goods. Using the same micro-blogging website, I replied to her that Overstock.com was one of my favourite websites for shopping.

A few days later, I receive the following message from the company:

overstockdotcom @GabiWarren Thanks for recommending us! We really appreciate it.

Very simple and not incredibly time consuming. However, such a message is incredibly powerful. So powerful that I felt compelled to blog about it.

This occurrence has a lesson within it, which is: It is becoming very easy for brands to find out exactly who their customers are, and what they are up to, and better yet to communicate directly with them. Brands that choose to ignore social media do so at their own peril, as people are increasingly looking for this direct, easy and informal communication from brands. They want to feel special, and know that they are valued as a customer.