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Microsoft Corp. is set to discontinue sales of its Windows XP operating system starting this June, and a group of fans that doesn't want to see the company abandon XP have taken it upon themselves to rally behind the product. From blogs to online petitions, the fans are trying to make their voices heard in an effort to keep Microsoft from retiring Windows XP -- a move that would force Windows users to opt for the Vista operating system, which the company launched in January. Whether Microsoft will heed the voices of their passionate XP fans or continue with the phase out remains to be seen -- but the fact that the users are passionate enough about the product to stage such a public outcry against its rollover is something worth noting.
On the Buzz Canuck blog, they've constructed a categorization for brand community types based on depth of involvement and exclusivity. Putting the different kinds of brand community efforts into these nine buckets helps differentiate between the relatively low involvement, low exclusivity fan clubs and the high involvement ambassador clubs and brand cults that prompt word of mouth activity in a bigger way. The post also offers examples of brands that are using these varying levels of communities, and a call for readers to weigh in and contribute to the list.
On his blog, Shel Holtz highlights a word of mouth effort that has gained a lot of momentum based solely on WOM and good will. John Ondrasik, lead singer of the band Five for Fighting, launched a website called What Kind of World Do You Want, where users can upload videos that answer just that question. Each time one of the user-submitted videos are viewed, money is donated to one of five charities of Ondrasik has selected. The effort so far has raised nearly $175,000 -- all via word of mouth alone.
Your brand probably has its own enclave of impassioned users. So how do you find them? And what do you do once you've identified them? Most WOM-savvy marketers wouldn't argue the value of embracing brand fans, but figuring out how to encourage them to spread the word and keeping them satisfied, loyal, and engaged isn't always easy. Here are some tips for how to do just that.
This Forbes.com article looks at some of the ways that consumers both knowingly and unknowingly become spokespeople for brands, either by leaving feedback on ratings and reviews sites or by signing up to use the latest Facebook application. The most transparent techniques allow consumers the choice of putting their faces (and reputations) behind a brand, but some are less direct. The article cautions consumers to consider their personal endorsement a kind of currency -- and to put it towards the things they really love.
When Kellogg Co. ended production of the Hydrox cookie in 2003 for failing to gain market share on Oreo, the company couldn't have anticipated the undying brand love of the product's fans. Hardcore Hydrox fans have come together, petitioning Kellogg to reinstate the cookie and starting websites and online groups to bolster support for their favorite snack.
Want to guard your brand's marketing efforts against a possible recession? According to a recent post on the Brains on Fire blog, brand ambassador movements are the kind of marketing efforts that can get an organization through times when marketing budgets are lean.
In this comprehensive article from Adweek, brand ambassadors are examined, from all of the ways that they can help spread word of mouth for an organization to the different techniques companies are using to call up their own enthusiasts.
When the household printer Gocco was discontinued in 2005, fans of the product were quite distressed -- so much so that they rallied together to try to bring Gocco back. Passionate enthusiasts are capable of reinvigorating a product. Would your customers miss you if the couldn't have you anymore?
Brand ambassadors don't come with a one-size-fits-all label; you need to pick the ambassadors that are the right fit for your brand. Here are a few things to look for when selecting the best enthusiasts for your ambassador program.
Up-and-coming bands are using blogs and online social networks to generate waves of word of mouth enthusiasm, which result in more listens and more fans in the stands. Some bands are gaining enormous amounts of notoriety, could the same techniques work for brands?
Engaging customers is more than just feeding them a line and hoping they'll bite. It's about being WOM-worthy. Without a genuine connection to your customers, advertising comes off stale. So what's a company to do?
Senior marketers weighed in, and according to a recent ANA and Booz Allen Hamilton study, the key factors for great leadership in marketing include a lot of WOM-focused traits, including: Make your consumer an advocate.
True evangelism isn't something you can buy, but it is something you can foster. Find your evangelists, empower them, reward them, and don't let them forget why they loved you in the first place.
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