Are These Really Our Strengths?

Companies these days are becoming ever more affluent on the culture of social networking. They see a market that is taking off and want to be a part of it, but they are unsure of how. I believe, however, that this is causing some questionable tactics to take place; the examples of Google, Yahoo, and Nike come to mind. Nike has a great concept in its customization platform it uses, however, it just seems like that type of customization that they now offer in store will soon take away from the Nike brand itself. I mean, if we go into a store, design our own shoe, what do we need the Nike brand for? The strategy will most likely be copied by other shoe makers (less expensive shoe makers more importantly), but have comparable designs. In similar fashion, Google and Yahoo want to create a social network platform from their ever existing email interface, however, you risk some customers from feeling invaded by the uncertainty of their privacy. It is important to have a social networking strategy, but a strategy that does not take away from the core strategy of the company.