The question of which brands are the best at “socializing” with their audiences is often asked, and seldom answered. It is for that reason we applaud Vitrue for developing a Social Media Index (SMI) and publishing the top 100 social brands of 2008. There are some obvious names on the list, such as Apple, but also some less obvious ones, such as McDonalds. While names on this list span almost all industries, the one thing each has in common is that they are seeing robust financial and branding benefits from their social marketing efforts. The moral of the story is no matter what type of business you have or who your audience is, it has become clear that social media should be a significant component of your marketing mix. To see the whole list, check out The Vitrue Blog.