The American Society of Health-Sysrtem Pharmacists (ASHP) research manager (Colleen Bush) conducted a "campaign" to create internal awareness of the power of WOM communication and provide strategies for ASHP to incorporate it into their programs. She conducted secondary research to see what's new in WOM research (which led to "finding" WOMMA), followed by a strategic membership survey called the Speak-Up Survey, focus groups, and ongoing follow-up surveys to track results of new WOM initiatives.

The research manager developed a WOM model integrating original and borrowed approaches from: 1)TARP, to show the dire consequences of negative WOM when not eliciting and solving customer problems, and 2) a positive WOM component, incorporating Fred Reichheld's "net promoter score." She made several presentations to each ASHP division, which incorporated the research findings and estimated growth scenarios for improving service and trying WOM marketing strategies.

The VP of the Marketing and Sales Division (Dean Manke) used a condensed summary presentation of key findings for his FY2006 business plan kick-off meeting and included the report with the budget planning tools assembled for division heads. This report "10 Things to Remember, Remember, and Remember Again" become an integral part of the planning process for FY2006. Marketing managers (Ericka Ochoa, Karin Hadlock, Elizabeth Edwards, and Gregg McGrath) actively used the "10 things" in their marketing programs, and others followed their lead. The VP of Member Relations (David Witmer) used key slides in presentations he made to the Board of Directors and leadership committees.

The campaign was successful; the model developed to project the potential for growth if WOM strategies were implemented was on-target. After one year of actioning the research and strategies, ASHP experienced a membership growth of 10% -- after several previous years of no growth. All market research was conducted internally and the cost was 40% less than that spent in prior years.

Credit Information
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Client: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
Agency: N/A
Budget: $14,000 for research campaign including surveys and focus groups (40% less than previous year's budget for MR)
Date of Campaign: Research (January to May 2005); Action (June 2005 to May 2006)