If consumer passion (and discontent) is directly proportional to stock price, then efforts must be taken to manage it.

You must give customers, prospective customers, the market, and onlookers like the media good news. And you must do it regularly. Good news must be manufactured. It doesn’t just happen, it must be created and disseminated.

If times are good — like if you’re Apple or Google right now — good news can come in the form of new products, lowered prices, and expectations about both (speculation and Internet rumors count as good news). Times are good Amazon, and the company just announced a terrifically received $200 Android / Kindle tablet.

If times are difficult — like if you’re Netflix or Research in Motion right now — good news must be designed to cut off the bad news. If you’re losing customers, or profit, or suffering from difficult media coverage, you must put out positive news in a way that deals with the problems head on.

Right now, the CEOs of both companies need to sit in front of assembled media and answer questions until there aren’t any more. And in these news conference, they must extend their customers an offer. This can be viewed as an apology offer — “we’re sorry for making mistakes lately” — or a thank you offer — “we appreciate you and your business.” For Netflix, this can be a free month or two, or reduced pricing for a short period. For RIM, this can be a credit to its app store.

When times are tough, and customers are fleeing, and the coverage is negative, and the company is needs a lift — give your customers good news. Make it. Create it. And disseminate it.