August 2005
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WORD OF MOUTH VS. ADVERTISING:
BATTLING FOR CONSUMERS' TRUST AND ATTENTION
Top marketers, Seth Godin debate issues in new blog and at conference
CHICAGO, August 30, 2005 -- Top experts have come together to discuss the impact of word of mouth (WOM) on advertising at the "Word of Mouth vs. Advertising" blog at http://ads.womma.org, hosted by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA). Best-selling author Seth Godin will keynote a conference with the same name on September 28 in New York.
A vigorous discussion on the issues surrounding WOM and advertising has already started at the Word of Mouth vs. Advertising blog. The blog is an experiment in participatory blogging, with more than 50 expert co-authors invited to contribute.
WOMMA's "Word of Mouth vs. Advertising Conference: Consumers in Control" is an official part of Advertising Week 2005, where tens of thousands of top marketers will come together to discuss the future of advertising. The event is being held in association with OMMA East, MediaPost magazine's major ecommerce conference. The conference agenda is at http://www.womma.org/nyc.
Answering six critical questions
"In the end, all marketing is about word of mouth," said WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz. "What we'll find out is if an ad is the starter for a conversation between consumers -- or if consumer opinions will drown traditional advertising messages."
The blog and conference will answer six critical questions about the impact of word of mouth on advertising:
1. How do you get customers to say good things?
2. Does advertising inspire or inhibit word of mouth?
3. Does great product experience replace marketing?
4. Are happy customers the greatest ads?
5. Are marketers part of the conversation, or missing it?
6. How do advertisers learn to use word of mouth?
Conference brings top minds together
The conference features eight solid case studies and 22 speakers representing the pioneers of WOM in advertising. Seth Godin's keynote will discuss his book "Unleashing the Ideavirus", long considered a how-to manual for word of mouth marketers.
Confirmed speakers include AOL, Arnold Worldwide, Ben McConnell, BuzzMetrics, BzzAgent, DEI Worldwide, Edelman, GSD&M, Informative, Intelliseek, Jupiter Research, Ketchum, Marsteller, Millward Brown, Northlich, Organic, Patagonia, Starcom, TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
About WOMMA
WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry. Its members are committed to building a prosperous word of mouth marketing profession based on best practices, measurable ROI, and ethical leadership. The association has more than 170 corporate members. Learn about WOMMA at http://www.womma.org.
# # #
PRESS CONTACT
Andy Sernovitz, CEO
Word of Mouth Marketing Association
312-335-0035
editor@womma.org
http://www.womma.org
A vigorous discussion about the intersection of word of mouth and traditional advertising techniques has taken off at WOMMA's new WOM vs. Advertising blog. An experiment in participatory blogging, our idea is to have multiple authors all contributing their best thoughts to a single blog.
Bookmark the site or read the feed, but don't miss it.
Learn more: http://ads.womma.org.
Emanuel Rosen,
Author, The Anatomy of Buzz
Emanuel Rosen first became interested in buzz when he was the VP Marketing at Niles Software in Berkeley, California. There he was responsible for launching and marketing the company's flagship product, EndNote, which spread to a large extent by word of mouth. Emanuel started researching this phenomenon and especially how it can be accelerated. After selling his share in the company in 1998, he interviewed 165 individuals - researchers, consumers, and executives who were successful in building buzz for their brands. The result is The Anatomy of Buzz, which "has managed to generate quite a bit of buzz itself" as Business Week Online noted. The book hit the Wall Street Journal's business best-seller list and was translated into ten langauges. Steve Jurvetson, one of the investors behind Hotmail who coined the term Viral Marketing, wrote of the book: "Every new company and new product manager hopes to benefit from buzz. Many hope that it will just happen, and they are disappointed when it does not. The Anatomy of Buzz explains how to make it happen, bringing analysis, strategy, and insight to the black art of buzz."
Ed Keller,
Co-Author, The Influentials
Ed Keller, consultant, author, and speaker, is widely recognized as an authority on consumer trends and forces driving consumer market behavior in the US and around the world. Prior to establishing his own consultancy in 2005, Keller served as the CEO of RoperASW, one of the world’s most prominent market research firms.
Keller's book, The Influentials, co-authored with Jon Berry, established him as a leading authority on word of mouth marketing. The Washington Post has said, "The Influentials ... deserves a place on the shelf of anyone in business or politics." The New York Times said, "The notion that some people's word of mouth is more important to others' is both seductive and sensible." The Influentials was selected as one of five finalists for the 2004 Berry-AMA Book Prize for Best Book in Marketing, an honor that recognizes books whose innovative ideas have had significant impact on marketing and related fields."
An active leader in the marketing research community, Keller serves as President of the Market Research Council (2005-06) and is a Director of the Advertising Research Foundation and Chairman of its Research Advisory Committee.
Keller is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned an MA in Communications from Penn's Annenberg School for Communication.
Word of Mouth vs. Advertising: Consumers in Control
New York, September 28
A WOMMA Conference
-----------------------------------
HOW BRANDS AND AGENCIES
CAN MASTER THE ART OF
WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING
Don't miss this event if you need to understand
the impact of word of mouth on your brand.
From the Word of Mouth Marketing Association
http://www.womma.org
>> Reserve your place:
http://www.womma.org/nyc
> Word of Mouth vs. Advertising
--------------------------------------------------
Fight of the century -- or a new vision of more honest and effective marketing? Discuss and debate the issues. Learn strategies for marketing in a word of mouth world.
> Seth Godin and 22 More Amazing Speakers
--------------------------------------------------
The top minds in word of mouth marketing and advertising will all be here. Seth Godin, best-selling author of the original WOM how-to guide "Unleashing the Ideavirus" will deliver the keynote address.
Confirmed speakers include AOL, Arnold Worldwide, BuzzMetrics, BzzAgent, DEI Worldwide, Edelman, GSD&M, Informative, Intelliseek, Ketchum, Marsteller, Millward Brown, Northlich, Organic, Patagonia, Starcom, and TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
> 5 Fantastic Reasons to be at This Event
--------------------------------------------------
1. Learn the Best WOM Techniques
> Get people talking about your brand
> Create campaigns that go viral
> Identify your influencers & evangelists
> Start your own WOM campaign
> Work (safely) with blogs and communities
2. Real Case Studies from Amazing Speakers
> Seth Godin on "Unleashing The Ideavirus"
> 8 solid case studies
> 22 amazing speakers
3. Measure the ROI of WOM
> Learn WOM's impact on brand value
> See how WOM impacts all of your campaigns
> Build a business case for word of mouth
4. Big Questions Answered: How WOM Impacts Your Brand
> How do you get customers to say good things?
> Does advertising inspire or inhibit word of mouth?
> Does great product experience replace marketing?
> Are happy customers your greatest ads?
> Are you part of the conversation?
5. Reality Check: 3 New Rules
> Honesty matters
> Consumers control the conversation
> Word of mouth has more impact
>> Reserve your place:
http://www.womma.org/nyc
> Details
--------------------------------------------------
When: September 28, 2005
Where: New York Marriott Marquis
Cost: $395 for WOMMA members, $695 for non-members
>> Reserve your place:
http://www.womma.org/nyc
> Partners
--------------------------------------------------
This conference is held in association with Advertising Week 2005 and OMMA East.
WOMMA members save $100 on OMMA registration
http://www.mediapost.com/omma/eastindex.cfm
Every WOMMA member will soon receive a free copy of Seth Godin's latest book: "The Big Moo: Stop Trying to be Perfect and Start Being Remarkable." The book contains 33 case studies and essays, including several contributed by WOMMA members Dave Balter, Jackie Huba, and Promise Phelon.
This is a pre-release galley of the book. What better way to show word of mouth in action by putting a copy into the hands of our members -- eight weeks before it even hits the streets!
Learn more:
http://www.sethgodin.com/bigmoo
Announcing the first-ever exclusive WOMMA Brand Marketers Private Briefing with Mark Hughes, author of "Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff."
The first in a series of private briefings presented by WOMMA, this is a members-only conference call open to brand marketers only. Sorry, no vendors and agencies allowed.
Details
WOMMA Private Briefing with Mark Hughes
1 hour -- 9/14 @ 2pm EDT/11am PDT
RSVP: Please email Michael Rubin if you want to participate and are both a member and a brand marketer.
Learn more:
http://www.buzzmarketing.com
http://womma.org/pages/2005/02/buzzmarketing_g.htm
WOMMA members receive discounts at high-profile events and
conferences all the time. Check this out!
OMMA East
September 27-28, New York City
--------------------------------------
OMMA East is designed by and for the online marketing community. Through the oversight of MediaPost's editorial staff, each track is designed specifically to deliver fresh, relevant information of genuine value to the target audience. We're going to ensure that by getting your feedback as YOU help us program this conference. In
addition to the conference, 100+ booths will pack the show floors, providing a focal point for the breakthroughs in technology, strategy and insight that the conference applauds.
If you're also going to WOMMA's "WOM for Advertisers" conference on September 28, we recommend including OMMA in your itinerary.
WOMMA Members Save $100 (Use Discount Code: OEW05)
http://www.mediapost.com/omma/eastindex.cfm
Brand Science Institute
International Word of Mouth Conference
October 6-7, Hamburg, Germany
--------------------------------------
More than 200 prominent marketing experts and researchers
from around the world will gather to discuss with other
attendees the latest marketing approaches and future trends
in the realm of word of mouth marketing. The event is being
sponsored by Brand Science Institute with a view to
providing a forum at which marketing practitioners can
productively exchange experiences and explore unresolved
word of mouth marketing issues.
WOMMA Members Save EUR 300 (Use Discount Code: WOMINTL05)
http://www.b-s-i.org/wom/en
BlogOn 2005 Social Media Summit
October 17-18, New York, NY
--------------------------------------
ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT STEP? You've heard the buzz
about blogs, RSS, podcasting and other social media. Now
it's time to get down to business at BlogOn 2005. Learn how
to make strategic investments in social media to create
more meaningful conversations with customers. Hear best
practices and case studies from experts who've been in the
trenches and understand your challenges. Space is limited -
sign up today!
WOMMA MEMBERS SAVE $100 (Use Discount Code: WOMMA25)
http://www.blogonevent.com
Dr. Catherine Tucker,
Assistant Professor of Marketing,
MIT Sloan School of Management
Catherine Tucker is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at MIT. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University.
Her current research focuses on empirically quantifying micro-influences on the adoption of new technologies. In particular, she is interested in how new technology purchases are affected by the previous purchase decisions and word-of-mouth by friends and colleagues in the customer's social network.
Her other research interests include the effectiveness of trial periods in encouraging technology adoption, the effectiveness of affiliate marketing programs and the extent to which firms introducing new products enjoy a first-mover advantage.
Official Site
Dr. Don Schultz
Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications
Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
President, Agora, Inc.
Don E. Schultz is presently Professor Emeritus-in-Service of Integrated Marketing Communications at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University. He is also President of the consulting firm, Agora, Inc. both located in Evanston, Illinois. Additionally, he is a Visiting Professor at Cranfield School of Management, Bedfordshire, UK, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, and Visiting Professor, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Schultz has consulted, lectured and held seminars on integrated marketing communication, marketing, advertising, sales promotion, brands and branding, and communication management in Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and North America. His articles have appeared in numerous professional trade publications and academic journals including Advertising Age, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Advertising, and Marketing News. Professor Schultz was the founding editor of the Journal of Direct Marketing. He has served as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Marketing Communications, and on the editorial review board for a number of trade and scholarly publications. He is also a regular columnist for Marketing News and Marketing Management.
He is author/co-author of thirteen books, Strategic Advertising Campaigns, Essentials of Advertising Strategy, Essentials of Sales Promotion, Sales Promotion Management, Strategic Newspaper Marketing, and Measuring Brand Communication ROI. His book, Integrated Marketing Communications, was the first text in this emerging field.
Schultz' recent books include Communicating Globally and Raising the Corporate Umbrella. He and his wife Heidi have co-authored an update on the seminal text on IMC, IMC: Next Generation, as well as Brand Babble: Sense and Nonsense about Brands and Branding.
Schultz is former director of the Promotion Marketing Association of America and past Chairman, Accrediting Committee, Accrediting Council in Journalism and Mass Communications. He has also served as Director, Institute of Advanced Advertising Studies, as public member on The National Advertising Review Board and was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Commonwealth University's Ad Center. He is also co-chair of the IMC Committee of the Advertising Research Foundation. He was selected the first Direct Marketing Educator of the Year by the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation. He was named Educator of the Year by the Chicago Chapter, Sales and Marketing Executives Association. American Advertising Federation named him Distinguished Advertising Educator of the Year. Sales and Marketing Management magazine named Schultz one of the "80 Most Influential People in Sales and Marketing". He is also a member of the American Marketing Association, American Academy of Advertising, Advertising Research Foundation, Association for Consumer Research, Business Marketing Association, Direct Marketing Association, and the International Advertising Association. He is past Chairman, Communications Committee, Illinois Division, and the American Cancer Society.
Schultz maintains a busy academic life. In addition to his duties at Northwestern University, he hold visiting professor appointments at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, Cranfield University in Milton Keynes, England, Tsinghua University in Beijing China, and is a frequent guest lecturer at the Swedish School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland.
Schultz has served on the board of directors of a number of corporations, including Penton Media, Inc., Cleveland, The Simon Richards Group, Melbourne, Australia, Brand Finance plc, London, Insignia Systems, Inc., Minneapolis and dunnhumby associates, London.
Schultz resides in Evanston with his wife and business partner, Heidi.
Official Site
BlogOn 2005 Social Media Summit
October 17-18, New York, NY
--------------------------------------
ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT STEP? You've heard the buzz about blogs, RSS, podcasting and other social media. Now it's time to get down to business at BlogOn 2005. Learn how to make strategic investments in social media to create more meaningful conversations with customers. Hear best practices and case studies from experts who've been in the trenches and understand your challenges. Space is limited - sign up today!
WOMMA MEMBERS SAVE $100 (Use Discount Code: WOMMA25)
http://www.blogonevent.com
As a way of saying thanks for your continued support, we are proud to announce that every WOMMA member will soon receive a complimentary copy of our new "Measuring Word of Mouth, Volume 1" book and a CD with audio recordings of all the presentations given at our recent Measuring Word of Mouth conference in July. Extra copies can be ordered at a special WOMMA member rate.
For those of you who have already placed an order for the book or CD, we have already gone through our records and made sure not to charge you.
Not a WOMMA member? There's still time to get your order in! You won't want to miss out on all this great new research.
Book and CD order form:
http://www.womma.org/metrics/audio.htm
Buzz-worthy Internships
Job #W102
Develop your business skills and make valuable contacts while learning about the amazing impact of word of mouth marketing.
WOMMA represents the leading companies at the cutting edge of buzz, viral, and creative word of mouth marketing. Our members include Intuit, Edelman, BzzAgent, Organic, and many more innovative market leaders. If you've heard about buzz marketing, Seth Godin, or customer evangelism - that's our territory.
Help us research new marketing techniques, produce conferences, publish newsletters, and set standards for the industry. You will at the forefront of the most important innovations in marketing, working side by side with senior executives who can jump-start your career.
We need smart people who can:
- Do marketing and sales to help recruit companies to join our coalition
- Organize events and meetings
- Write position papers
- Coordinate efforts with consumer groups
- Carry out public relations and publicity initiatives
- Do online research
We need people who love this stuff. Candidates must be smart and dedicated, and absolutely must be the type of people who know how to look at a problem, determine exactly what needs to be done, and then make it happen. We need great people with skills in writing, sales, marketing, PR, event planning, and more.
We do not need any web designers or IT people.
REQUIREMENTS
------------------------
THIS IS AN UNPAID INTERNSHIP. We can't pay you, but we'd be delighted to help you get school credit. Only *CURRENT* undergrads and grad students are welcome to apply.
SCHEDULE
------------------------
Minimum 15+ hours/week
HOW TO APPLY
------------------------
- Send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to
Preston Firestone at preston@womma.org.
- The subject of your email should read:
'W102, WOMMA Internship, Your Name'
- No phone calls, please.
WOMMA represents the leading companies at the cutting edge of buzz, viral, and creative word of mouth marketing. Our members include Intuit, Edelman, Kimberly-Clark, Sprint, Harvard Business School, and many more innovative market leaders. If you've heard about buzz marketing, Seth Godin, or customer evangelism - that's our territory.
More than 130 companies have joined WOMMA in just six months for a very simple mission: Build a thriving word of mouth marketing industry based on ethics, best practices, and measurable ROI.
Vice President of Events
Job# W101
We're looking for an experienced executive to manage all events and conferences for this rapidly growing trade association. We have produced record-breaking events and are looking for someone to take our program to the next level.
Responsibilities include:
Manage our entire event program from start to finish, including content development, promotion, and marketing. You will be responsible for the financial and strategic success of the program.
Produce at least two major annual conferences, regional workshops, and teleconferences. Work with major industry events to co-locate our content.
Recruit and supervise staff and outside vendors.
Build a sales capability for sponsorships and exhibits.
Establish a speakers' bureau to secure speaking opportunities for our members.
Generate a target of $1 million annual registration and sponsorship revenue.
Requirements:
Proven track record in event production, preferably for a business-focused trade association.
Experience in all aspects of event management with full P&L responsibility.
Exceptional project management, planning, and organization experience. You will be running a department, not just a conference, and will need to demonstrate management skills.
Exceptional writing and communication skills.
Experience working in a small-business environment. Demonstrable experience as a self-starting, self-managed executive who can operate with limited support and supervision.
What we are looking for:
We DO NEED experience working with senior-level executives to recruit them to speak on panels, keynotes, and breakout sessions; and working with executive-level attendees.
We DO NOT NEED candidates whose primary experience is with exhibition or facilities management, party planning, or social events.
You must have strong familiarity with the marketing industry and the Internet industry.
This is not a learn-on-the-job situation. We need someone who will hit the ground running on the first day.
How to Apply
Send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements by email to Preston Firestone at preston@womma.org
The subject of your email should read: "W101, Events, Your Name".
This is a full-time position based in Chicago. Hiring immediately. No relocation assistance is provided.
We're looking for an experienced salesperson/recruiter to lead growing at the rapidly-expanding association. More than 125 companies have joined in just six months, and the pace is accelerating. We are looking for a proven membership recruiter who can pursue and persuade the next 375 corporations to join our coalition. We have received 1000+ well-qualified inquiries -- you'll convince them to join.
Companies are lining up to join WOMMA for a very simple mission: Build a thriving word of mouth marketing industry based on ethics, best practices, and measurable ROI.
WOMMA represents the leading companies at the cutting edge of buzz, viral, and creative word of mouth marketing. Our members include Intuit, Edelman, Kimberly-Clark, Sprint, Harvard Business School, and many more innovative market leaders. If you've heard about buzz marketing, viral marketing, blogs, Seth Godin, or customer evangelism - that's our territory.
Responsibilities include:
* Generating a target of 50 new members per month
* Managing the membership sales process
* Helping new members get active and involved
* Assist with renewals
Skills and Traits Required
* Proven sales experience in with similar high-level executive prospects.
* Proven track record recruiting corporate members for an industry coalition.
* Ability to “talk the talk” with marketing and new media executives to a reasonable degree, and ability to quickly become articulate and knowledgeable in our field.
* Strategic planning and solid management experience. Ability to manage a department, not just make the sales.
* Exceptional writing and communication skills.
* Demonstrable experience as a self-starting, self-managed executive who can operate with limited support and supervision.
* Association background preferred. This is not a learn-on-the-job situation.
How to Apply
Send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements by email to Preston Firestone at preston@womma.org
The subject of your email should read: "W106, Member Recruiting, Your Name".
This is a full-time position based in Chicago. Hiring immediately. No relocation assistance is provided.
WOMMA represents the leading companies at the cutting edge of buzz, viral, and creative word of mouth marketing. Our members include Intuit, Edelman, Kimberly-Clark, Sprint, Harvard Business School, and many more innovative market leaders. If you've heard about buzz marketing, Seth Godin, or customer evangelism - that's our territory.
More than 130 companies have joined WOMMA in just six months for a very simple mission: Build a thriving word of mouth marketing industry based on ethics, best practices, and measurable ROI.
Vice President, Membership
Job# W103
We're looking for a senior executive to manage member relations for this rapidly growing trade association. We have very active members, committed leadership, and productive committees. You'll bring order to this process, streamline operations, and keep our members active and involved.
You will be the primary day-to-day contact with members and prospects. Primary responsibilities include:
1. Member communications and satisfaction. You'll be the first line of contact for members. You'll keep them happy, active, and enthusiastic. Respond to their requests; identify and solve problems.
2. Managing committees. Our members are very active participants in committee activities. You will be responsible for encouraging participation, scheduling and supervising meetings, coordinating minutes and agendas, and keeping the entire process moving forward.
3. Supervise member/volunteer projects. Our members are working on 4-5 major projects at any one time. You need to be the central liaison and coordinator between members and staff to make sure these get done (and done well).
Requirements:
Proven track record managing high-level group projects with volunteer participants.
Ability to "talk the talk" with marketing and new media executives to a reasonable degree, and ability to quickly become articulate and knowledgeable in our field.
Exceptional planning and management skills.
Exceptional writing and communication skills.
Demonstrable experience as a self-starting, self-managed executive who can operate with limited support and supervision.
Association background preferred. This is not a learn-on-the-job situation.
How to Apply
Send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements by email to Preston Firestone at preston@womma.org
The subject of your email should read: "W103, VP Membership, Your Name".
This is a full-time position based in Chicago. Hiring immediately. No relocation assistance is provided.
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