According to Cynthia Neiman, VP of Mattel Digital Network, the world of women is divided into two groups: those who had the Barbie Dream House when they were kids and those who didn't. (I did. I was an only child.) It's a hard admission for someone who likes to be seen as all hip and street-savvy to admit, but I'd maintain that forging a truly creative career comes from a rich imaginative life somewhere in times past. But we're not here to compare childhoods.

Neiman's role on our very advanced "Brand Innovators" panel at digiday:SOCIAL in LA was all about empowerment, and the ability of social networks to communicate with brands in new and interesting ways. Barbie is on her 125th career since the 1950's and to celebrate, cyberfans got to vote on what she'd tackle next. Mattel's early money was on "News Anchor Barbie," but it was not to be. Computer programmers -- dare we say "cyber-chicks"? -- banned together en masse to vote in "Computer Engineer Barbie," now on order for delivery in October. We're sorry she'll miss our next digiday:SOCIAL show in mid-September where she'd have the opportunity to show off subtle details, like the fact that her Tee spells "Barbie" in binary.

But as these insightful panelists all capture in their remarks in the video at upper right, brands' willingness to play with your fans -- whether in pomegranite orchards with Pom Wonderful, or with the idea of winning the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes -- is what sparks the most sincere consumer loyalty.