SAP CRM is pursuing a new strategy in customer relationship management that is based on the concept of "social CRM." This is a big buzzword in business today, because it describes the methods that companies are using to deal with the implications of customers who have increasing control over the marketing and interaction around their online brands. Brand reputation, sales, service issues and loyalty are all more sensitive to the influence of customers' opinions and interactions online then ever before.

Thanks to social media, customer comments about products and brands are being amplified to have a much greater influence other people's purchasing decisions. Customers increasingly use the social media channels and online communities like Facebook and Twitter to consider the opinion of others in their decision-making process, and this is equally true of B2B and consumer companies.