Mmmm Chocolate.

You know you’re getting old when the twinges of regret far outweigh the sparks of excitement. Or, is a hankering after ‘stuff’ of a bygone era symptomatic of a mindset that no longer deserves to cut it?

I suppose there’s a world of difference in learning from our past as opposed to living in it. But, there are occasions when an idea, product or way of life from times previous still warrant discussion or were finished well before their time. Sometimes we change just for the sake of change and that might not always be the best course of action.

There is no time like the present for flying blind in this respect. Trends related to the Internet such as search engines, Web 2.0 and anything else you can think of are in a constant state of progressive flux. Just as you’ve got your head around one particular idea, it’s gone and changed. And for some, it’s changed several times before they’ve had time to acknowledge its very existence.

However, the one thing various social network sites such as Facebook allow you to do is connect with friends, colleagues and alumni that you thought you may never see again. Connection is a constant; it’s our lifestyles that have changed to the extent that our social groups are more fractured and fleeting.

The other thing social networking allows us to do is rally behind an idea or product and find a multitude of like-minded souls who are equally as passionate. Ten years ago you were lucky to find that one indivdual in a bar or at a party who perhaps shared your very passion for whatever it is your passion was. Nowadays you can simply do a search and find lunatics all over the globe who share your passions. You are not alone.

One of the things I used to love at some point during my teenage years in the UK was a chocolate bar otherwise known as the Wispa. I couldn’t tell you when they disappeared from the shelves, but I’m rather glad they’re to be re-introduced. How I’m ever going to get my hands on one is another story entirely.

Yet the story of why they’re being introduced is arguably as exciting. Basically, a group on Facebook called “Bring Back Wispa” lobbied Cadbury to do just that – bring back the Wispa. Cadbury thought the 14,000 members of the group was a loud enough collective noise and they pulled the trigger of its return. (Read more about this potential social media success story.)

Perhaps we should all move on and consign the Wispa to the chocolate tin of history, but 14,000 people disagree and have changed the mind of one of the biggest chocolate companies in the world. Granted, social media probably has more to lose than Cadbury if it doesn’t work out, but at least Cadbury is trusting social media to act as some kind of focus / market research group.

And put their chocolate money where Facebook’s mouth is.