Oh, did you say something?

If the new mantra of advertising/ marketing/ business development is "intimate conversations with the customer" while consumer generated media is ruling the day, do CEOs really want to hear what their audience has to say?

Customer expression, user engagement, consumer feedback... all these buzzwords sound warm and fuzzy and make all marketers worth their weight begin to salivate in anticipation of phenomenal campaigns and awards won for creativity and entertainment value.

However, like the annoying person that pens you in a corner at that never-ending cocktail-networking event, are the marketers just smiling, nodding, and inserting an "mmm-hmm" at the appropriate intake of breath? In the age of conversation, are the CEOs really listening?