The WOMMA WordViral Marketing Refresher: 3 Tips to Make it Work for You
It's not enough to just shoot a video; viral marketing that takes off takes more planning than that. Here are three simple tips for making your viral marketing efforts work.
Facebook Goal: To Connect Online and Offline Realities
Founder Mark Zuckerberg's aspirations for Facebook include the social networking site acting as a mirror for user's real lives. How close has it come to hitting that mark, and what does it mean for advertisers?
WOMMA Summit News: 2007 Wommie Award Winners Announced (Research Award-Winning Papers Announced Tuesday)
It's the news you've been waiting for: this year's Wommie Award winners. WOMMA's Wommie Awards were created to recognize amazing word of mouth campaigns and the fabulous people who create them -- and this year, more than 50 WOM-worthy case...
Blogging: Is It the Right Fit for Your Company?
Corporate blogging isn't a one-size-fits-all venture. It's right for a lot of companies, but not right for everyone. In fact, sometimes listening to the blogosphere provides a greater benefit.
33% of Online Advertisers to Create Social Net Profiles
Thirty-three percent of online European advertisers plan to launch profiles on online social networks, according to a new report, titled "Social Marketing in Europe," from Jupiter Research
81% Say Social Media Spending Will Meet, Exceed Traditional
Marketers predict that their social media spending will increase dramatically over the next five years, according to a study by TWI Surveys Inc. Eighty-one percent of marketers surveyed say their social media spending will meet or exceed their spending on traditional advertising, with a full 57% predicting that their spending on social media will trump their other media buys.
Press Release: WOMMA Announces Wommie Award Winners: Affinitive, Converseon, Fanscape, and Quicken Loans to Present at the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit Nov. 14-15
Chicago, IL 11-01-2007 -- The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) today announced Affinitive, Converseon, Fanscape, and Quicken Loans as the 2007 Wommie Award winners. WOMMA congratulates all of the recipients of this word of mouth marketing accolade, which was...
Fox Uses Funny Funeral to Spread WOM About 'Family Guy'
Public funeral processions and candle light vigils are being held in major cities around the country -- but don't send your condolences just yet. The effort is part of Fox's marketing for the animated series, "Family Guy," which is celebrating its 100th episode. In the episode, one of the main characters is rumored to die, which is why Fox is using public mourning to spread the word.
This Week in Buzz Marketing
On his blog, "Buzz Marketing for Technology," Paul Dunay summarizes the top news this week in buzz marketing, including a look at HP's market research wiki idea and a some tips on marketing your company on Facebook.
WOMMA Summit News: Meet Your Fellow Council Members
At the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit this Nov. 14-15 in Las Vegas, members of the Influencer Council and the Healthcare and Pharma Council are holding organizational meetings to discuss next steps and key issues in the next year: *...
65% of Consumers Actively Seek Customer Product Reviews
According to the study "Social Shopping Study 2007," which is set to be released by PowerReviews on Nov. 12, 65% of online buyers are identified as "social researchers" and actively seek out online review information before making a product purchase. Seventy-eight percent of this group spend more than ten minutes reading customer reviews, and 86% of them say reviews are "extremely" or "very" important.
Word of Mouth and Web 2.0 Inform One Another
The relationship between WOM and Web 2.0 is symbiotic, with new technologies making WOM easier to spread from person to person, and an increased reliance on word of mouth for recommendations making internet users more inclined to participate in Web 2.0 applications.
Brands Make WOM Central to Launches and Campaigns
More and more brands are seeking WOM expertise and are launching their own WOM campaigns. So what accounts for WOM's appeal, how are people using it, what are the risks, and what's the secret that makes this marketing practice shine?
What Not to Do in Viral Marketing: 6 Things to Avoid
Part of making viral marketing work is knowing what not to do. The Agency Blog offers up six lessons of what not to do when making your viral video.
Doctors to Receive Patient Ratings and Reviews
Zagat Survey and health insurer Wellpoint are teaming up to give patients a forum to read and post Zagat-style reviews for healthcare providers. The service, which is set to launch in March, will allow people to share opinions and physician rankings.
WOMMA Summit News: Don't Forget to Network!
Aside from the many opportunities you'll have to rub elbows with your industry peers during our Nov. 14-15 Summit in Las Vegas, we're also giving you a few chances to toast the WOM industry over cocktails and to network, network,...
Getting WOM Mileage Out of Your Company's Employees
Companies have at their fingertips a pool of potential brand enthusiasts just waiting to be tapped: their employees. How can impassioned employees incite excitement about your company, and what can you do to make them your biggest fans?
Facebook Users' Profiles to Inform Ad Targeting
On Tuesday, Facebook is set to unveil an advertising model that allows the company to target ads to its users based on their profile information and social networking contacts. Some consumers have responded by creating a "Do Not Track" initiative that questions whether data on social networking sites is fair game for marketers.
European Lawmakers Cracking Down on Unethical WOM
European word of mouth marketers who don't heed a strong code of ethics will soon be breaking the law, according to the E.U.'s Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. The directive specifically cracks down on companies who pay bloggers or agencies to post false or misleading blogs and reviews.
Press Release: PQ Media Releases Word of Mouth Marketing Forecast 2007-2011; First-Ever Analytics on the Size, Structure & Growth of WoM Marketing
Patrick Quinn, President/CEO of PQ Media, to Present Report Findings at WOMMA's Word of Mouth Marketing Summit Nov. 14-15 Major brand marketers have begun to reallocate budgets to alternative media with potential to meet the challenges of a rapidly diversifying...
Announced: New Report from OneUpWeb in WOMMA's Member Center
>> A new study from WOMMA member company OneUpWeb is now available for WOMMA members in the Member Center. OneUpWeb recently released a study which investigates 12 of the hottest products and retailers for the 2007 holiday shopping season and...
Announced: WOMMA Event Deals
>> At WOMMA, we like to save our members money. Log into the Member Center now to get your discount codes and take advantage of the latest WOMMA event deal: --> SMX West 2008 Santa Clara, Calif. | Feb. 26-28...
WOMMA Summit Topic: WOM Research and the Net Promoter Score
On his blog yesterday, Dr. Walter Carl, co-chair of WOMMA's Research Council, started a conversation about the Net Promoter Score, which is one of the topics we're delving into at this year's WOM Research Symposium. Join us in Las Vegas on Nov. 13 to continue the conversation!
5 Viral Marketing Campaigns that Worked
Viral marketing is one of the biggest conundrums in the WOM world. What creates the spark that takes something from "video" to "viral"? Here's a look at five viral marketing campaigns that were successful.
Getting the Most Bang Out of Social Networking's Buck
One of the big questions that comes up around online social networks is how to effectively monetize them. Companies are finding new and interesting ways to do this -- and are already evolving the definition of what makes a social network.
How to Protect Yourself From Negative Online WOM
Here are some great tips for monitoring online word of mouth about you or your company and what you can do to protect yourself from or respond to negative WOM.
How Big is the WOM Industry?
It's one of the biggest questions in WOM, and PQ Media is set to present never-before-seen data, analytics, and forecasts on the key trends driving the various WOM marketing industry segments, including media, WOM marketing agencies, and WOM research at the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit Nov. 14-15.
Announced: New Report from OneUpWeb in WOMMA's Member Center
>> A new study from WOMMA member company OneUpWeb is now available for WOMMA members in the Member Center. OneUpWeb recently released a study which investigates 12 of the hottest products and retailers for the 2007 holiday shopping season and...
Announced: WOMMA Event Deals
>> At WOMMA, we like to save our members money. Log into the Member Center now to get your discount codes and take advantage of the latest WOMMA event deal: --> SMX West 2008 Santa Clara, Calif. | Feb. 26-28...
Stuff You Should Read: Top-Ten Marketing Blogs
If you're looking for a few new things to add to your feed readers, here's a great list compiled on the Writing White Papers blog: the Top-10 Marketing Blogs 2007/2008. Check it out.
Social Media Definition Still Evolving
As consumers and marketers converge on social media grounds, they're grappling over the definition of social media. From a consumer perspective, it's all about socializing, but marketers are most interested in the "media" element.
WOMMA Summit News: Come to Summit to Learn WOM & Network
Why should you attend WOMMA's Summit next week? PQ Media will release the first-ever study on the WOM industry (no PowerPoints will be available, you have to be here to see this). Learn --> Our Summit agenda covers some of...
BuzzLogic Launches 'Conversation Targeting' Platform
WOMMA member company BuzzLogic is getting press today around the launch of its "conversation targeting" ad-delivery platform, which the company believes will make ads more relevant to online users and there-by generate more clicks.
Facebook Set to Showcase Users' Brand Choices
With a permission-based format greasing the wheels, Facebook is gearing up to let users share their brand preferences with their friends. According to the company, friends are already telling friends about the stuff they love -- so why not let advertisers into that conversation? Some are wondering if Facebook's "social advertising" is too invasive.
78% of Marketers Say Social Media Gives Competitive Advantage
According to a recent Coremetrics survey, titled "Face of the New Marketer," 78% of marketers indicate that social media initiatives give them a leg-up over the competition. Fifty-eight percent of marketers have implemented CGM or reviews in the past 12 months, and 31% have launched a blog.
What It Means If You Are NOT Getting Talked About
If your clients and customers aren't telling their friends about you, your company, or your service, it probably says something about your company. Here's an extremely honest and slightly humorous look at what it means when no one's talking about you.
Martha Stewart Lifestyle Blog Network Launched
Omnimedia launched Martha's Circle this week, a lifestyle blog network, giving a slate of handpicked lifestyle bloggers a larger platform upon which to speak about their areas of expertise -- including food, kids, home improvement, and entertaining.
WOMMA Summit News: Time is Running Out: Register Today!
WOMMA's Word of Mouth Marketing Summit and Research Symposium are taking place next week. If you don't register soon, you're going to miss: - 50+ expert WOM speakers - Breaking news about the size of the WOM industry from PQ...
What Facebook's Social Ads Mean for WOM
On the Community Group Therapy blog today, Sean O'Driscoll from WOMMA member company Microsoft weighs in and shares his impressions on the new Facebook ad announcement, including his thoughts on privacy, the social graph, and what it means for WOM.
Wal-mart Using Mobile to Spread WOM About Sales
As part of Wal-mart's holiday marketing efforts, the company is using opt-in text messages to tell people about special sales and bargains. Customers who choose to receive the messages can then take advantage of the deals -- or pass information about it along to a friend just by sending a text message.
Whole Foods Bans Execs from Posting on Message Boards
Earlier this year, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey didn't disclose his identity or connection to the company when posting about Whole Foods on a message board. In response, the company was accused of botching their ethics, and has responded by banning its executives from posting on third party sites altogether. On his blog today, former WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz questions this action, and suggests training employees on how to do it right instead.
Awards Presentation for the Top Three Metric Papers
Award paper #1: "Measuring the Ripple: Creating the G2X Relay Rate and an Industry Standard Methodology to Measure the Spread of WOM Conversations and Marketing" The paper was a collaborative one between Northwestern University and BzzAgent and tracked the spread...
WOMMA/Research Symposium: Introduction & Welcome: Get Up to Speed on the State of WOM Research
An overview of some of the topics to be covered during the Research Symposium were briefly introduced. Dr. Walter Carl, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Communication Studies, Northwestern University, spoke about the big five themes for 2007: The Influencer ModelNet Promoter...
The Net Promoter Score Discussion
Note: The podcast of this session will be uploaded as soon as possible. Deb Eastman says that there’s a lot of confusion about the Net Promoter Score and that this term needs to be very clearly defined. Tim Keiningham says...
Live blogging from Jake begins
Jake here, this morning's first session is kicking off and I'm going to be working with Andrea to bring the event to you at home!...
WOMMA/Summit - Day 1: State of the Industry
Ed Keller from the Keller Fay group is opening the event. It looks like a 50/50 split between new attendees and returning. Ed calls 2007 the that of "Inflection of Word of Mouth Marketing". He's made a great case for...
WOMMA/Summit - Day 1: State of the Industry
The Summit is off to a great start and the energy is high! Peter Waldheim, Interim CEO of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association is giving the Third Annual State of the Industry. Conference blogger Jake McKee will primarily cover...
WOMMA/Summit - Day 1: Microsoft/Halo3 Keynote
The Halo Effect: The march to the biggest entertainment launch in history Jeff Bell from Microsoft takes the stage, and preps us for a 360 degree approach to marketing case study. The Story of Halo Master Chief is a hero......
WOMMA/Summit - Day 1: Social Networks: Do consumers want to be your friends?
The session aims to talk about how social networks have cropped up everywhere recently, and how members use them to share common interests and or discussions on a variety of things. Important question are whether marketers can provide value to...
WOMMA/Summit - Day 1: The Influencer or Network: What Matters More?
The session discusses whether influentials (i.e., the person who tells others what to think and buy) are real, whether they span product categories, and whether they really matter in the age of social networks. Panelists: * Ed Keller, CEO, Keller...
WOMMA/Summit - Day 1: Vegas, Mystique, and Word of Mouth: Shhh...Keep This a Secret
Panelists: Jordan Clark, VP of Sales of Harrahs Steve "Chops" Przeiss, Rawvegas.tv Marisa Scarpulla, Manager of David Burke Restaurant at the Venitian Sarah Tilly, Cabbie Panelist's comments and tips: * To make hotel conferences most profitable, hotels need to provide...