"You can't control the message," is one phrase you've heard from me a lot. Even blogged on the challenges associated with it.

Instead, how do you join the conversation to influence the message?

A big hat-tip to John Porcaro who highlights how EA just did that.

Instead of a potentially embarrassing gaffe where there's a flaw in the video game, EA says, 'we get the joke and we'll one up you.'

End result: a company that has personality and generates some seriously positive WOM.