It’s not right for every brand, of course, but there’s mounting evidence that issue marketing might be starting to gain some traction.

If you’ve not yet heard about this, AOL UK has thrown a question out there for all of us. And it is this: Is the internet a bad thing or a good thing?

AOL has created two films, each which takes the debate down a different path. In addition, there’s a microsite where people, including a number of celebrated authors and politicians, can get in the conversation.

This is a pretty shrewd move for AOL. Taking on a larger issue like this could be huge for AOL. With its Campaign For Real Beauty campaign, Dove has suddenly gone from just another, not all that noteworthy beauty brand to a champion of women’s self-esteem.

In effect, what both AOL and Dove are attempting to do here is ignite something of a social movement. Like with any movement, though, you need to be in it for the long haul. It takes a serious commitment for a message of this magnitude to worm its way into the wider culture. Pull out too soon and you risk looking like an opportunist.

The good news is that if the idea is authentic, if it flows organically from a core truth about who and what you are as a company, the right issue can take a brand up to an altitude it might not have been able to achieve otherwise.