WOMMA's WOMBAT Blog: Word of Mouth Basic Training

Read a summary of Gary's WOMBAT presentation

How-To: Building Buzz for a New Television Series

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 18:37:00 +0000

5 Tips from DEI Worldwide's David Reis

When Showtime launched its new series "Weeds", the network knew that 60 percent of consumers research entertainment choices online. Executives approached DEI Worldwide to build buzz around the premiere of the show.

Based on his work with Showtime, DEI Worldwide's CEO David Reis shares five tips on how to build buzz.

Tip #1. Create compelling creative
Over a two month period, David worked closely with Showtime to design compelling marketing messages that supported and complemented Showtime's other marketing efforts. Messages were tailored to best match the interests of each audience (African-American, gay, marijuana enthusiasts, general cable viewers, etc.).

Tip #2. Choose venues carefully
DEI developed an extensive list of chat rooms, message boards, and Instant Messenger message delivery locations for the campaign based on Showtime's desired target audience.

Tip #3. Prepare in-house team for one-on-one conversations
David wanted DEI's in-house marketing associates to engage in one-on-one conversations with consumers about the show, but he knew they needed to have the ability to educate their audience. With that in mind, the associates screened preview episodes of "Weeds" before the series aired and were trained carefully to understand and deliver Showtime's marketing messages.

Tip #4. Be flexible
Through supervision, training, and communication, DEI's team was able to provide valuable marketplace feedback to Showtime. That allowed for constant tweaking of messages and targets, and the ability to dispel negative or false perceptions in real time.

Tip #5. Provide more information
Consumers felt privileged to learn more about "Weeds" and get insider information about a "cool" new series, and David found that a link to the promo was a key to increasing interest and intent to watch the show. He made the recommendation to Showtime to provide even more 'exclusive' information to enhance future word of mouth results.

Over the course of the campaign, series viewership scaled upwards 210 percent, traffic on the show's website spiked, and awareness of "Weeds" increased from 8.3 percent to 14.5 percent -- a total increase of 62.7 percent.

More about David:

Read David's WOM vs. Ads presentation (PDF download)

How-To: Using e-Fluentials to Promote Your Products

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 18:36:27 +0000

5 Tips from Marsteller's Andrew Nibley

The only real difference between an "influential" and an "e-fluential" is technology. "Where an influential might influence two other people to purchase a product or service, an e-fluential influences, on average, 14 other people," says Andrew Nibley, Chairman and CEO of Marsteller.

Here are Andrew's tips on making those e-fluentials work for you:

Tip #1. Identify your own e-fluentials
Every company has a certain amount of emails coming from customers -- and every email that arrives represents a customer with the ability to have an impact on your business. If you bought a CRM tool and aren't using it, start now. If not, find a way to track and mine incoming email.

Tip #2. Categorize your customers
Look at customers who have contacted you. Divide them into e-fluentials who are happy with your products and services and those who are not.

Tip #3. Keep the happy ones happy
Make sure that the e-fluentials who love you get your latest, greatest products before those products are launched to the public. People love to talk about the things they love, so give them something to talk about. Doing so also keeps a line of communication open, an important element in creating brand advocates.

Tip #4. Turn negative e-fluentials around
Find out what the unhappy e-fluentials are upset about. Then fix the problem. If you can change their view of your company and/or your product by solving their problem, you've got an advocate who will go to everyone in their social network and brag about how they got you to improve your products and services.

Tip #5. Re-engage the negative e-fluentials
Once you've turned a negative e-fluential into an advocate, give them the same treatment that you give the ones who love you. Lavish them with new products before they hit the market, so they continue to have reasons to talk about you on their networks.

More about Andrew:

Read Andrew's shared WOM vs. Ads presentation (PDF download)

April 5 Teleconference: How to Create a Viral Word of Mouth Campaign

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 15:34:00 +0000

WORD OF MOUTH WEDNESDAYS
Every Wednesday at noon EST

This Wednesday, April 5:
"How to Create a Viral Word of Mouth Campaign"
Mark Kingdon, CEO, Organic
Virginia Miracle, Head of Word of Mouth, Dell
* Learn creative elements likely to get passed along
* Discover how to start the virus spreading
* Understand how to track and measure results

Coming up on April 19: Word of Mouth Ethics

How-To: Integrating Word of Mouth into your Marketing and Communications Programs

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 15:29:01 +0000

5 Tips from Fleishman-Hillard's Dan Horowitz

"If you just want to talk 'to' your audience versus 'with' them, then WOM isn't for you," says Dan Horowitz, Co-Chair of Fleishman-Hillard's Interactive Practice Group. "But if you want to engage, enlighten, and empower your key audiences, then make sure you integrate WOM into all of your marketing and communications."

Here are Dan's five tips on integrating WOM into your marketing and communications programs.

Tip #1. Build relationships
WOM is just another opportunity to build real, lasting relationships with customers and other key stakeholders. Like any good relationship, programs should be built on trust, transparency, and two-way conversations.

Tip #2. Start small
Nothing helps establish the value of your new approach like real life examples. Implement one manageable, measurable tactic to help demonstrate WOM's worth before recommending full integration within your marketing efforts.

For example, try "pilot" blogs that are assessed and measured at the end of a two-month period based on initial goals: number of posts, number of visitors, number of mentions by third-parties.

Tip #3. Develop metrics
Look beyond typical metrics: if ACME Company creates a registration-based online community and nearly half of the sign-ups come from "tell-a-friend", you can see the clear impact of WOM. Also be sure to look at how members who joined via the WOM promotion differ from other participants. Were they more active? Were they more likely to refer additional members? Did they churn less?

Tip #4. Let it evolve
WOM is about encouraging evolution in your messaging. Want control? Buy an ad. Want honest discussion of your products? Embrace WOM.

For example, Fleishman-Hillard represents a well-known food product company. When it launched a new product line, we sent samples of the product to a list of key online editors and bloggers, asking only that they write a fair review of the product, disclosing that they were offered a free sample by Fleishman-Hillard. The reviews were positive overall; the constructive criticism allowed the company to re-assess its messaging and positioning.

Tip #5. Integrate promotions
View your WOM program in terms of online and offline impact. A registration-based online community might be promoted via a website, e-newsletter, and relevant third-party sites. However, don’t forget to utilize offline PR, events, and other traditional channels to promote it. Integration leads to exponential results for WOM programs.

More about Dan:

How-To: Creating a BtoB WOM Campaign

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 15:22:14 +0000

5 Tips from Intuit's Maggie Colby

"People say that for business-to-business, it's so hard to do word of mouth," says Maggie Colby, Acting Director of Intuit Marketing Excellence. "Ultimately, our customers are people just like everyone else, so you have to figure out a way to have your brand communicate with them beyond just the service you're offering."

In order for word of mouth to be effective, it should fit into an overall marketing strategy, Maggie believes. Here are her five tips on creating word of mouth campaign for the BtoB marketplace.

Tip #1. Connect with customers on emotional basis
One year around Valentine's Day, Intuit wanted to put together a promotion to drive people to the new QuickBooks online community and to convince them to register and use the site. As she looked for a way to connect with these customers emotionally, Maggie narrowed in on the company's contracting and construction community. She realized that many contractors run their businesses as husband-and-wife teams, so she put together a promotion asking those teams to "honor their Valentine" and enter their three tips on working with a "significant other."

Tip #2. Suggest a specific action
Maggie sent an email to inform all contractor customers that they could win $1,000 by entering their tips. In order to enter, they had to register and use the new community site. Thus, they gained experience in using the community -- the ultimate goal of the campaign -- as part of the campaign itself.

Tip #3. Include the press
Maggie contacted key people in the press who cover the contractor segment to let them know about the contest. In that way, they became involved and helped promote the campaign.

Tip #4. Let your customers do the talking
All entries were posted on the community with no editing. By allowing customers complete control over their input, it got them involved. By the end of the promotion, 716 people had written in their tips.

Tip #5. Leverage the promotion after the promotion ends
After the promotion had closed, Maggie's team looked for trends among the tips that had been sent. They pulled them together as a promotional piece, which they again sent to key influencers in the press. The winners of the $1,000 were interviewed, and were asked to talk to the press when the writers needed more information.

More about Maggie:

March 29 Teleconference: Countering Negative Buzz with Pete Blackshaw and Jim Nail

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:09:26 +0000

WORD OF MOUTH WEDNESDAYS
Every Wednesday at noon EST

This Wednesday, March 29:
"Countering Negative Buzz"
Pete Blackshaw, CMO, Nielsen BuzzMetrics
Jim Nail, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, Cymfony
* Learn how to monitor negative buzz
* Understand what you can do about it.

You won't find this kind of up-close expertise anywhere else!

* March 29: Countering Negative Buzz
* April 5: How to Create a Viral Word of Mouth Campaign
* April 19: Word of Mouth Ethics

How-To: Democratizing Marketing

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:05:33 +0000

5 Tips from MotiveQuest's Kerry Stranman

The relationship between companies and consumers is changing. "It used to be an 'us' vs. 'them' mentality, where 'we' (the marketing industry) controlled the message and 'they' received it passively," explains Kerry Stranman, Partner and Chief Strategist for MotiveQuest. Based on what she calls the "democratization of the marketplace", Kerry offers these tips to get people talking.

Tip #1. Wow 'em with your product
It's an old truism: Without product excitement, there's nothing to evangelize. Kerry points to what Motorola has done with the Razr phone. They used influencers to speed talk of the product, then sustained the buzz by launching new versions like PINK and SLVR.

Tip #2. Meet an unmet need
"Listen" online and via other avenues to be certain that your new product is need-centric rather than product-centric. For example, Kerry says, she has been observing growth in the online mention of banking & credit card fees. So when Citibank launched the Citi Simplicity Card -- a credit card with no fees -- they were putting themselves in the shoes of the consumer and listening, then using what they had learned to create a new product.

Tip #3. Become a resource for information
Mavens thrive on being subject matter experts. For example, British Petroleum has an online "carbon calculator" that measures how household and lifestyle choices affect your CO2 emissions. Also, news sources and subject matter experts often quote British Petroleum's world energy statistics. Making this data public feeds the desire of the influencers to be "in the know".

Tip #4. Create community
Companies can engage consumers by bringing people of like interests together through events or promotions, and then extend it online via community boards or blogs. You can empower them to be involved by letting them vote on which treatment will be the cover of the next issue of a magazine like "Cooking Light" does for example -- and by doing so, you not only engage them but you generate valuable market research for yourself.

Tip #5. Invite them to help create marketing
Break down the wall and make the marketing co-creative, Kerry urges. For example, as New Balance was repositioning itself against Nike, it looked to its heritage in amateur athletics in its "For Love or Money" campaign. They created a space online & asked consumers to post pictures of themselves and tell their "everyday athlete" story. The stories that were generated ("I run because I almost lost my mother-in-law to cancer and it was the one thing I could control...") allow the consumers to feel a sense of participation in the brand, and gave the brand a level of authenticity that straight-forward advertising can't do alone.

More about Kerry:

How-To: Preparing for WOM

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 21:59:00 +0000

5 Tips from Echopinion!'s Bill Mosher

The first question most companies ask about word of mouth is if it works for them. "It is my belief that WOM works for every company," says Bill Mosher, Founder and Director of Echopinion! "But the more all-encompassing question a company should ask is, 'Are we prepared to develop a WOM strategy?'" Here are Bill's five tips on preparing for WOM.

Tip #1. Do we have buy-in?
Does top management see the value that word of mouth plays in a company's success? If so, congratulations. Top-down belief is very important.

If not, start small and build buy-in from the bottom up. Use statistics and other resources to make your case. It is critical that upper management sees WOM's benefit on the entire operation of the company.

Tip #2. Happy employees, happy customers
It's easier to get others to talk about how great your company's service is if your own employees feel good about their work. Studies show happy employees generate great products/services and customer service. Consider creating an internal work satisfaction survey to determine what your own employees think about your internal operations, customer touch-points and product/service. Take action to correct prior to staring your WOM initiative.

Tip #3. Do we have more than a "me too" product?
Take a hard look at the product you offer. Is it unique, and will consumers be impressed enough to tell others their positive thoughts? If all you have is a "me too" product then expect "me too" results!

Tip #4. Analyze, but don't expect quick results
WOM, when done correctly, is an ongoing process. You won't see improved sales in the first quarter. Be prepared to analyze the results of your WOM initiatives but remember that the WOM program shouldn't end there.

Tip#5. Share insights with every department
Too often, when a marketing department hears feedback such as, "I love your product. But whenever I try to reach you I can't get anyone on the phone," they focus on the part about the product and forget to inform customer service about the rest. Remember to treat WOM not just as a marketing initiative, but as an all-encompassing communications strategy.

More about Bill:

March 22 Teleconference: CEO Blogger Richard Edelman and GM's FastLane Team

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:19:48 +0000

WORD OF MOUTH WEDNESDAYS
Every Wednesday at noon EST

This Wednesday, March 22:
CEO Blogger Richard Edelman and GM's FastLane Blog Team
* Learn how to do corporate blogging the right way.
* Understand how they did it, why they did it,
and the challenges they face.

You won't find this kind of up-close expertise anywhere else!

* March 22: GM and Edelman: CEO Blogs
* March 29: Countering Negative Buzz
* April 5: How to Create a Viral Word of Mouth Campaign
* April 19: Word of Mouth Ethics

How-To: Defining the Influencers

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:02:01 +0000

5 Tips from GfK NOP's Jon Berry

"If your ultimate goal is to get people talking about you, then all marketing can be considered WOM," says Jon Berry of GfK NOP and co-author of The Influentials. Jon recently conducted a survey to discover how word of mouth works, what defines an influential person, and how WOM interacts with traditional media. Here are some tips based on what he found:

Tip #1. Influence begins with listening
When asked what makes someone influential, most respondents answered that listening is the most important characteristic -- more important even than personal experience, which came in third (being helpful was the second most popular). Build the practice of active listening into all of your touchpoints with consumers.

Tip #2. Your USPs are your lifelines
By far the leading factor in creating buzz was clear information about a brand's unique selling propositions (USPs). Humor helps, too, but sticking with benefits of the product is most important. Being "outrageous" was cited by only a third of respondents as the leading factor. Your marketing, then, should support your product story.

Tip #3. Watch out for Mom and Dad
Family, even more than professionals, is the most credible source of information. So while it's still a valid tactic for pharmaceutical companies to reach out to doctors, for example, the message should be reinforced with family and friends.

Tip #4. People love to help
The recent study showed that, indeed, most Americans do like to pass along information for companies that they like. It's important, then, that within your consumer database, you identify folks who are predisposed to you and are actively engaged in word of mouth.

Tip #5. Going deeper goes further
You can refine your word of mouth marketing by the characteristics of your consumer: look at segmenting your marketing by gender, category, age, etc. By refining who you talk to and what message you relay, you can produce big results.

Just how does word of mouth happen? Interestingly, the survey found that most recommendations come up in a conversation naturally. "It's that ability to interact with you and to hear what is most important to you and then to make the recommendation based on that, that comes out on top," Jon concluded.

More about Jon:

Read Jon's shared WOMBAT presentation (PDF download)

How-To: Selling a WOM Campaign Internally

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:56:40 +0000

5 Tips from Rowland Communications Worldwide's Ann Moravick

"The selling process can seem insurmountable within organizations new to WOM," says Ann Moravick, CEO and President of Rowland Communications Worldwide. "Months can pass before an organization is ready to move forward."

Here are Ann's five tips to speed the education process:

Tip #1. How do they feel about WOM?
Knowing your target's beliefs about word of mouth (WOM) will help you effectively overcome hurdles. To find WOM friends and foes, ask these questions:

* Have you done a WOM campaign before?
* What were the results?
* What are current perceptions of WOM?
* Who is an advocate?
* Who is not?
* Who owns it as a discipline?

Tip #2. Show me the money
Most organizations new to word of mouth take monies from existing disciplines: generally online, direct or PR. As a result, these discipline managers are sometimes reluctant to fund WOM.

Instead, encourage multiple divisions to share the burden of cost as a "test." This gives everyone ownership and reduces their budgetary contribution. Or find a passionate advocate in the company within one discipline and encourage him to add WOM to an existing effort.

Tip #3. Learn what's worked
Use publicly available case studies of successful WOM campaigns in selling internally. Make sure your campaign recommendations are clearly defined and results-oriented. The fearful manager considering a campaign will be relieved when you've shown her that you've considered every detail.

Tip #4. Measure for measure
Most marketers want to know they'll generate impact beyond just talk. Involve the diverse measurement approaches available today in the development of your campaign. Make sure you can answer: How many people are you going to engage? How many WOMunits will they convey and to whom? What will the ultimate measure of success be? How will you monitor day-to-day efforts?

Tip #5. Don't stop selling
First forays into word of mouth are scary. Extensive and consistent communication during the evolution of a WOM campaign is vital in assuaging fears and in creating true advocates for word of mouth.

Communicate at every juncture along the way, and communicate widely your successes when the campaign is done. After all, you want talk about your campaign and its success to go on its own word of mouth journey.

More about Ann:

Read Ann's WOMMA Summit presentation (PDF download)

How-To: Building Successful Buzz Campaigns

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:34:18 +0000

5 Tips from Ground Force Network's Bob Hutchins

Word of mouth marketing is the pinnacle of what most marketing people are trying to do, and should be the foundation of advertising in general. "Going back thousands of years, word of mouth is the first marketing anyone ever did, and the purpose of all marketing, whether you're talking radio, TV, print, is to drive word of mouth," says Bob Hutchins, General Partner for Ground Force Network.

Here are Bob's five tips on building successful buzz campaigns:

Tip #1. Build upon an existing group of passionate people
You have to start with a solid foundation and/or a great product for word of mouth to catch on. Thus, WOM campaigns are always more successful when you start with a small group of people who are already passionate about the product/project and build upon that. That way, you are focusing on enhancing what they naturally believe -- and their passion naturally rubs off on their sphere of influence when you provide them with the right tools, information, and incentives.

Tip #2. Strive for personal interaction
Make each member feel special and appreciated on a daily basis. When they feel like they are a part of something important and on the "inside," their desire to tell others is much more powerful and genuine.

Tip #3. Create a central landing place
Web sites are perfect for this. Give people a one-stop shop for everything they'll need to know in order to go out and be successful in spreading the word.

Tip #4. Offer tools
Build user-friendly tools that make sharing their passion about a product/project simple and easy. It makes spreading the word so much easier and less intimidating, and these tools also are extremely important for new people to learn about the product/project and spread the word too. The right tools, such as an effective ecard, are key to building your campaign.

Tip #5. Have integrity
Don't try to make the campaign something it's not. If there's a delay in something, be upfront with your team of supporters. They'll appreciate honesty more than a vague answer, and they'll like being in the "loop." When your team of supporters trusts your judgment and how you work, they're even more likely to want to share the news about your current and future campaigns.

More about Bob:

Read Bob's WOMBAT presentation (PDF download)

How-To: Making "Mom WOM" Happen

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:30:10 +0000

5 Tips from Lucid Marketing's Kevin Burke

There are 83 million moms in the U.S. -- 4 million new ones each year. "They're involved in most purchase decisions in the household, across all categories," says Kevin Burke, President of Lucid Marketing.

Here, Kevin shares insights on these key word of mouth influencers.

Tip #1. Moms are your customers
Recent data suggests moms control 80 percent of household spending, and they are typically buying for themselves, their husbands, and their kids. Capture "Mom WOM" and you capture a huge market of valuable consumers for nearly every consumer business.

Tip #2. Moms are busy and discerning
Moms have more choices than in previous generations. They are pressed for time and often juggle a work-life balance. Moms multi-task skillfully because they have to. They're on the lookout for solutions to make life easier, which is one reason why they strongly embrace the internet. If stranded on a desert island and can only have one medium, they chose email over all others.

Tip #3. Moms are not classical influential profile
Moms value relationships to a greater extent than anyone else because they experience the strongest relationship anyone can have -- a mother and child. Moms are good at building relationships and enjoy sharing know-how. You can see relationships growing and word of mouth happening at ball games, bus stops, birthday parties, etc.

Tip #4. Moms are extremely credible with peers
Moms are big influencers in mom-to-mom dialogue. They are more likely to make personal recommendations to other moms, and they rank WOM from other moms as the most trusted means of finding out about new products and services. The thought process is as simple as, "she’s like me and knows what I face!"

Tip #5. Moms have widely differing behaviors
"Typical" mom activities? There are no such thing. Their busy lives lead them to all different places and experiences.

A recent Lucid study found moms who work full-time have the highest number of average daily contacts (46), while moms who are not employed have the fewest, at 18. But results switch with message board and chat room activity: 22 percent of moms not employed went on daily, while only 12 percent of moms who work full-time did. When asked about having their own blog, moms who worked part-time were much more likely to have one.

More about Kevin: