According to Barbara Kahn , director of the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center at Wharton, the increasing popularity of social media has two implications for marketers: First, customers now control the message and second, companies must make sure that key elements of their brand can translate throughout the world. In a recent interview with Wharton MBA candidate Alexandra Idol, Kahn discusses her new book, Global Brand Power: Leveraging Branding for Long-Term Growth , the brand “as a mechanism for growth” and how companies can become more customer focused. An edited transcript of the conversation follows. Alexandra Idol: I’m here today to speak with Wharton marketing professor Barbara Kahn, regarding her new book Global Brand Power . I’m curious as to what inspired you to write a book about global brand power? Barbara Kahn: Although there are plenty of books on branding out there, I think that there are a few advantages this one [offers].…