July 2007
← June 2007 | WOMMA News Blog Home | August 2007 →
As you know, many organizations depend on the influencer model as one of many word of mouth tactics and strategies shaping their marketing efforts. In response to recent discussions within the industry about the influencer model specifically, WOMMA is providing a variety of platforms for our members to weigh in.
--> On Tuesday, August 7, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. EST, WOMMA will host a conference call to open a dialogue about the influencer model among our members, as well as to discuss WOMMA's role in fostering open discussion about issues that affect the industry.
This is your chance to dial in, listen to what your industry peers have to say, and voice your own opinions.
>> To take part in the call, please email us at membership@womma.org and put "INFLUENCER CONFERENCE CALL" in the subject line.
WOMMA members receive a variety of valuable benefits -- here are two you may have forgotten to take advantage of:
Tell us about something cool you've done
-----------------------------------------
Maybe you don't want to sing your own praises. Don't sweat it. We're happy to do the bragging for you. Just tell us about the cool things you're doing with word of mouth, and we'll spread the word. Email us at editor@womma.org, and we can arrange for a time for you to tell us your story.
Submit your WOM BtoB case study
---------------------------------
You've been meaning to submit a WOM BtoB case study, but you're busy, it's summer time, and you don't want to spend another minute at your desk. We understand. Send an email to editor@womma.org with "WOM BTOB" in the subject line, and we'll arrange an interview with you. We'll do the writing -- and you can get back to your summer.
WOMMA members understand the value of word of mouth marketing, and our member companies understand that when you couple a great marketing technique with a great cause, you get people talking.
Party for a Cause
---------------------------
"It's not about selling products; it's about selling ideas," says David Salie, describing how WOMMA member company Party2Win takes parties to the next level, using them to raise awareness about a multitude of cause-driven organizations, including the Humane Society, the Global Fund for Women, and MomsRising, just to name a few.
Salie noted that during a recent campaign for the Humane Society, which was aimed at stopping the slaughter of domestic horses for export, party hosts prompted their attendees not only to donate to the cause, but to call their state senators on the following Monday. The result: So many advocates dialed their senators that it made the news, and the provision to make horse slaughter illegal passed with a dramatic margin.
Nonprofits looking to ignite the passions of their most enthusiastic fans can tap Party2Win to create a web-based system for fans to volunteer to host parties to raise awareness and even funds for their cause. The idea is to create major, nationwide events comprised of dozens or even hundreds of 10- to 20-person house parties happening simultaneously. Also, there is always some element -- generally either a webcast or a conference call -- which is used to tie all of the individual parties together into one, greater event.
Because fans of the nonprofits are presumably invested in seeing the cause's initiatives succeed, and because they're reaching out to their personal social networks to invite party attendees, the parties have the propensity to generate incredible interest and word of mouth.
***********************************************************
To see more examples of cause marketing using WOM, visit the "Create a Cause" section of WOMMA's Case Study Library.
We'd love to feature your work in an upcoming issue of WOMMA Action Items. If your company is a WOMMA member and is using WOM to spread the word about a cause, we want to hear about it. Email editor@womma.org with "CAUSE WOM" in the subject line and let us tell your story.
Arrive with a question in mind or a big challenge you are trying to solve, and our experts will tackle it together -- potentially providing you a strategy for reaching your goal.
Join us and learn how to make word of mouth marketing work for you at these half-day sessions that have you back in the office implementing what you've learned the very same day. It's a great way to meet like-minded word of mouth marketers in your area at a bargain price that makes it perfect for junior staff, as well as experienced WOM aficionados.
WOM on the West Coast
August 15 | Seattle, WA
Join WOMMA and member-company sponsors Cole & Weber United and Visible Technologies along with sponsor Zaaz as we cover all the basics of word of mouth in our educational, half-day session.
WOM in the City II
September 20 | New York, NY
Join WOMMA and member-company sponsor GolinHarris as the WOM education road crew makes a return trip to NYC. Don't miss it!
In 2006, WOMMA offered savings to each of our members totaling more than $6,000 on event registrations, including $2,050 on five WOMMA meetings and more than $4,000 on 35 other industry events.
At WOMMA, we like to save our members money. We're always on the prowl for good deals and deep discounts; it's just one of the many benefits of being a WOMMA member.
Log into the Member Center now to get your discount code and take advantage of the latest WOMMA event deal:
--> CAB Exchange: A Summit on Customer Advisory Boards
Oct. 2-3 | San Jose, CA
WOMMA members save 10%
WOMMA member company OneUpWeb's whitepaper, titled "Cashing in on Universal Search: Questions Needing to be Asked, Answers You Need to Know," is now available for WOMMA members in the Member Center. The whitepaper covers information about Google's May switch from vertical to universal search, what it means to marketers, and tips for what to do to acclimate.
The whitepaper has tons of information, such as:
Under Google's new algorithms, blogs often appear higher in the results pages. The popularity of the sites, their specific topical focus, the wide use of social tagging, and the common practice of interlinking with other blogs, all contribute to their improved search positions, as does sheer volume, with Technorati tracking nearly 80 million blogs in May of 2007. And the numbers keep rising.
To learn more, log into WOMMA's Member Center and download the full whitepaper.
>> WOMMA members: Let us promote you! Do you have something you'd like to share with your industry peers? Let us know by emailing us at membership@womma.org, and we'll help you spread the word.
Welcome to WOMMA's newest member:
The New Media Firm
------------------------------
"Word of mouth is to new media what vermouth is to gin," said William Robinson, recounting how a long road has led him from traditional advertising and media back to his word of mouth marketing roots. These roots harken back to his days as a political organizer. Early in his career, Robinson understood that little league coaches were some of the best sources for spreading the word, and The New Media Firm's transition to an organization that blends traditional media, new media, and word of mouth synchs with that grassroots sensibility.
>> William Robinson and Tierney Hunt are partners at The New Media Firm.
We thank everyone for their support!
News by, about, and for WOMMA members:
* Congratulations to WOMMA member company Hill & Knowlton, whose "The Future of Retirement: What the World Wants" campaign for HSBC Insurance won Best Corporate Communications Campaign at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
* On June 26, WOMMA member company Northlich hosted a panel to discuss how blogs, online discussion forums, and social networking sites are influencing how information and opinion is created and shared. Listen to a recording of the panel discussion.
* Congratulations to Leonard Bernstein of WOMMA member company Reed Smith, who was recently elected as president of the Support Center for Child Advocates board of directors.
* Nicco Mele of WOMMA member company EchoDitto was recently interviewed on MotherJones.com. In the interview, Mele, the former webmaster for Howard Dean, discusses how the online political landscape has evolved since 2004 -- and how it's stayed the same. Read the article.
* WOMMA member company BzzAgent recently launched a new WOM platform -- dubbed "Frogpond" -- where consumers can try out online properties and "bzz" their friends about them using a variety of social features. Both MediaPost and AdRANTS covered the Frogpond launch last week.
* On July 18, Guy Powell of WOMMA member company DemandROMI spoke about social networking strategy at the summer meeting of the Pittsburgh Advertising Federation.
Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.
Many organizations depend on the influencer model as one of many word of mouth tactics and strategies shaping their marketing efforts. In response to recent discussions within the industry about the influencer model specifically, WOMMA is collecting papers that weigh in on the issue. Papers that represent all sides of the influencer debate will be included in a special section in our upcoming research collection, "Measuring Word of Mouth, Vol. 3."
Do you have something to say about influencers or the influencer model? If so, WOMMA wants to hear it.
Some questions that your paper might address:
* What is the proper role of the influencer model, and how have brands used it to promote themselves?
* What is the value of the influencer model as opposed to the value of targeting the "easily influenced"?
* Does the emergence and widespread popularity of social networks today add to or detract from the influencer model?
* How does one identify or engage influencers (the same question applies to identifying the easily influenced)?
* What tactics might complement or serve as alternatives to the influencer model?
Because this section is part of a research anthology, papers should be written from a research perspective and should include data where appropriate. In other words, back your opinions up with facts and make them really count.
>> Submissions are due on Aug. 13.
For more information, or to submit your paper, email us at editor@womma.org.
WOMMA members understand the value of word of mouth marketing. What's more, our member companies understand that when you couple a great marketing technique with a great cause, you get people talking.
Here are some examples of WOMMA member companies using WOM to spread the word about a cause:
***********************************************************
'Soul is Waterproof'
------------------------------------------
New Orleans' tourism-based economy was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. According to Sarah Kissko Hersh of WOMMA member company Weber Shandwick, New Orleans is a tale of two cities: While the residential areas are still on the mend, the tourist districts are thriving. And it's increased tourism traffic that will help drive restoration efforts all around the city.
In an effort to amp up the New Orleans tourism industry, Weber Shandwick and the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau designed a 10-market media tour to bring the best of New Orleans culture to major metropolitan cities.
To showcase one of the historic elements of New Orleans' culture and create a mobile tourism office, the team brought one of New Orleans' iconic green streetcars to New York and Chicago for a "Street Car Tour" that was featured on "Good Morning America" and Chicago's "NBC Nightly News" and garnered coverage in The New York Times and Chicago Tribute. Part of the Street Car Tour also included the onsite distribution of a limited edition set of Mardi Gras-style doubloons, which can be redeemed at New Orleans hot spots. Visitors to the mobile tourism office could also register to win a trip to New Orleans.
According to Kissok Hersh, the message at the heart of the New Orleans tourism effort is, "The best thing you can do for New Orleans is to visit."
'Second Chance Trees Island'
---------------------------------------------
WOMMA member company Converseon recently partnered with nonprofit organization Plant-It 2020 to create a real-world reforestation effort with roots in Second Life. On the "Second Chance Trees Island" people can buy and plant a virtual tree for 300 Linden dollars (approximately $1.50), which triggers the planting of a real tree in regions affected by global deforestation.
Converseon and Plant-It 2020 planned to plant 1 million trees and use the Second Life virtual forest as an educational space for a series of environmental projects as part of the American Express Members Project competition, which awarded the top five winning projects between $1 million and $5 million to execute their cause.
While the project -- titled "Virtual Forest Project, One Million Trees. Easy." -- did not win the AmEx Members Project contest, it was able to drastically raise awareness. The project video was viewed 1,882 times on YouTube, more than 100 blog posts were written about Second Chance Trees, and Second Chance Trees Island had its most successful week ever, planting 139 rainforest trees.
***********************************************************
>> We'd love to feature your work in an upcoming issue of WOMMA Action Items. If your company is a WOMMA member and is using WOM to create buzz around a cause, we want to hear about it. Email editor@womma.org and let us tell your story.
To see more examples of cause marketing using WOM, visit the "Create a Cause" section of WOMMA's Case Study Library.
Road trip! WOMMA is taking WOM on the road for a series of half-day educational seminars featuring key players in word of mouth marketing. Learn how to make word of mouth marketing work for you at a half-day session that has you back in the office implementing what you've learned the very same day.
This is a great way to meet like-minded word of mouth marketers in your area -- and the bargain price makes it perfect for junior staff, as well as experienced WOM aficionados.
>> WOM: Learn It, Do It Series
WOM on the West Coast
Aug. 15 | Seattle, WA
WOMMA is hitting the road and heading for the West Coast. Join us and member-company sponsors Cole & Weber United and Visible Technologies along with sponsor Zaaz as we cover all the basics of word of mouth in our educational, half-day session.
WOM in the City II
Sept. 20 | New York, NY
Join WOMMA and member-company sponsor GolinHarris as the WOM education road crew makes a return trip to NYC. We're giving East Coast word of mouth marketers a second chance to attend an information-packed, half-day session. Don't miss it!
For more information, or to register now, click here.
Last week, WOMMA's Womnibus Weekly newsletter featured an article by Lois Kelly, author of "Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing." Kelly's article opened with a scene that's all too familiar to many WOM advocates: She was presenting to a roomful of executives who were having trouble with the idea of turning control over to their customers, in spite of the advantages of conversational marketing.
The message from executives is this, according to Kelly: "Show us how to wade into this new talk-business world with some degree of control, or at least proactiveness. And show us the business value. The last thing we need is another marketing fad that sounds like dot-com mania all over again."
So what's a WOM marketer to do? In the article, Kelly offers up some suggestions, including:
1. Make meaning, not buzz.
2. Listening leads to innovation.
3. Points of view are more interesting than your product.
4. Nothing to talk about is why people don't talk.
5. Measure involvement vs. awareness.
To learn more or to read the entire article, visit WOMMA's Womnibus blog.
Even more companies have joined WOMMA. Welcome to:
* EyeTraffic Media
* The Sales Athlete
* IMJ
* ChatThreads
* UMCA
We thank everyone for their support!
News by, about, and for WOMMA members:
* WOMMA member company Jack Morton Worldwide helped eBay produce eBay Live! at Boston's Convention and Exhibition Center this June 14-16, bringing 10,000 members of eBay's usually virtual community together in a face-to-face setting.
* John Bell of WOMMA member company Ogilvy PR spoke at the AAAA's Digital Conference for Agencies of All Kinds: Insights, Innovations, Best Practices on June 14. His presentation, "How a PR Agency Does Digital," described the digital practices prevalent in today's PR universe.
* Congratulations to WOMMA member company HSR Business to Business, which recently received the Pro-Comm Silver Sledgehammer Award for Agency of the Year from the Business Marketing Association. The award was given to recognize excellence in business marketing.
* Howard Kaushansky of WOMMA member company Umbria was quoted in an article that appeared in the July 20 edition of the Colorado Springs Business Journal. The article, titled "Monitoring Word of Mouth, a Powerful Medium," can be found here.
* Andy Sernovitz, founding CEO of WOMMA and current CEO of WOMMA member company GasPedal, is teaching a graduate-level course about word of mouth marketing at Northwestern University's Integrated Marketing Communications Program in the Medill School of Journalism. Read the class blog.
Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.
Last week, WOMMA announced that Richard Tait, Grand Poo-Bah of Cranium Inc., will be keynoting its Word of Mouth Marketing Summit, which is taking place Nov. 14-15 in Las Vegas.
Tait, whose motto is, "Orville Wright did not have a pilot's license," thrives on changing the rules and is renowned for exploring new ways to do things differently. In 1997, Tait created the fastest selling independent board game in history: Cranium. In a time of technological excess, Cranium's high-touch -- versus high-tech -- approach and mission to give everybody the chance to shine was groundbreaking.
You don't want to miss this exciting speaker! Find out:
* How a commitment to fun can grow a business
* How a great product will make people want to talk about you
* How to know when to break the rules
* And more!
--> Don't Forget to Play!
At the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit, Tait will also host the world's largest Cranium Live game, giving Summit attendees a chance to flex their mental muscles while networking with hundreds of their word of mouth marketing peers.
>> Reserve your spot today:
$995 Members | $1495 Non-members
Whether you missed it altogether or need a refresher course, we've got audio CDs from this year's Word of Mouth Basic Training conference. WOMBAT took place April 17-18 in New Orleans, and while we can't replicate the energy and Cajun atmosphere, we can give you a CD loaded with important word of mouth information straight from the mouths of our expert speakers. This year WOMBAT had more expert speakers, more case studies, and more how-to lessons than ever before, including:
* 50+ amazing speakers
* Practical how-to instruction
* Detailed case studies
* Presentations from the industry's biggest brands, including Coca-Cola, Cold Stone Creamery, General Mills, Intuit, Jaguar, Jet Blue, LEGO, MINI, Nintendo, O Magazine, PETCO, Tabasco, Yahoo!, and more
Order your WOMBAT audio today.
Road trip! WOMMA is taking WOM on the road for a series of half-day educational seminars featuring key players in word of mouth marketing. Learn how to make word of mouth marketing work for you at a half-day session that has you back in the office implementing what you've learned the very same day.
This is a great way to meet like-minded word of mouth marketers in your area -- and the bargain price makes it perfect for junior staff, as well as experienced WOM aficionados.
>> WOM: Learn It, Do It Series
Give Me a Capital W-O-M
July 24 | Washington, D.C.
Join WOMMA and member-company sponsor Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in our nation's capital for a WOM marketing educational extravaganza. We've got the stuff you need to know, and we're bringing it to you.
Learn more or register now.
Last week, WOMMA hosted its first Learn It, Do It session in New York. WOMMA kicked off its word of mouth educational series with a bang, giving attendees a half-day session bursting with important word of mouth knowledge, including an overview of the word of mouth marketing universe, information on WOM ethics and doing WOM right, a discussion ofonline and offline WOM, and more!
Special thanks to our member-company sponsors GfK Custom Research North America and the 92nd Street Y.
See when WOMMA's WOM: Learn It, Do It Series is coming to a city near you.
Even more companies have joined WOMMA. Welcome to:
* The Varnson Group
* Life Time Fitness
* Tranquil Solutions
* Capable Networks
* Tycher Stein
We thank everyone for their support!
News by, about, and for WOMMA members:
* WOMMA member company Expo Communications recently announced that ExpoTV, a video-based social commerce network, produced a new show, "Everyone's a Critic," in which producers conduct interviews with movie patrons as they exit theaters, gathering unbiased movie reviews for ExpoTV viewers.
* Lois Kelly, author of "Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing" and partner at WOMMA member company Foghound, will be speaking on July 31 at Ad:Tech in Chicago.
* WOMMA member company Nielsen BuzzMetrics will host a webinar on Friday, Aug. 3, at 12:30 p.m. EDT to discuss how to capture conversations on blogs, boards, and forums without capturing spam, as well as how consumers are using digital media platforms to influence one another. To register, or for more information, visit http://www.nielsenbuzzmetrics.com/webinarregister.
* Joe Lichtenberg of WOMMA member company Eluma was quoted in a recent article in The Professional Network's Small Business Resource Center. The article can be found at http://pronet.nielsen.com/smallbusiness/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003609247.
* WOMMA member company Visible Technologies will present at the AlwaysOn Stanford Summit, which is taking place July 31 to Aug. 2, 2007, in Palo Alto, Calf.
* WOMMA Board Member Sam Decker of Bazaarvoice wrote the article, "The Big Idea Behind Social Commerce," which appeared in iMedia Connection on July 14. The article can be found at http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/15372.asp
Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.
WOMMA member company Converseon has partnered with nonprofit organization Plant-It 2020 to create a real-world reforestation effort with roots in Second Life. On the "Second Chance Trees Island" people can buy and plant a virtual tree for 300 Linden dollars (approximately $1.50), which triggers the planting of a real tree in regions affected by global deforestation.
This project has been selected as one of the top 50 submissions in the American Express Members Project, an initiative that will award between 1 and 5 million dollars to five winning projects. All of the projects in the competition were submitted by and are being voted on by AmEx cardholders.
If selected, the Converseon and Plant-It 2020 program is going to plant 1,000,000 trees and use the Second Life virtual forest as an educational space for a series of environmental projects.
To learn more about the project, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_0IC7JElqY
To cast your vote, visit:
http://www.membersproject.com/Environment_Wildlife/991
Chicago, IL July 12, 2007 -- The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) today announced that Richard Tait, Grand Poo-Bah of Cranium Inc., will keynote its Word of Mouth Marketing Summit Nov. 14-15 in Las Vegas. Tait is one of more than 50 word of mouth marketing experts slated to speak at the conference, which will cover the hot topics, current issues, and trends that word of mouth marketers need to know.
Tait, whose motto is, “Orville Wright did not have a pilot’s license,” thrives on changing the rules and is renowned for exploring new ways to do things differently. In 1997, after a 10-year run with Microsoft, Tait and cofounder Whit Alexander created the fastest-selling independent board game in history: Cranium. In a time of technological excess, Cranium’s high touch (versus high tech) approach and mission to give everybody the chance to shine was groundbreaking.
Inc. magazine named Cranium Inc. “one of the hottest start-ups” in 1999. Two years later, the same magazine dubbed Cranium Inc. “the smartest little company in America,” and Tait became one of Fortune magazine’s Fast 50. In the years since, Cranium Inc. secured the Toy Industry Association T.O.T.Y. Game of the Year award five times. Tait, deemed one of the “most powerful people in Seattle” by Seattle Magazine, was twice nominated for the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award and was included among Puget Sound Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty.” Tait is also a member of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Hall of Fame in the U.S. and he sits on the TIA Board of Directors.
"Tait is an example of an entrepreneur who understands the inherent power in giving people something they want and letting them carry the message via word of mouth," said Ed Keller, CEO of the Keller Fay Group and WOMMA Board President. "Cranium's success is a great example of what happens when you give people a product that is fundamentally WOM-worthy: They can't wait to talk about it. And that's what our industry is all about."
Tait will address a crowd of approximately 600 of the industry's leading word of mouth marketers. After speaking, Tait will host the world's largest Cranium Live game, giving Summit attendees a chance to flex their mental muscles while networking with hundreds of their word of mouth marketing peers.
For more information on the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit & Research Symposium, visit www.wommasummit.com.
About WOMMA
WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry. Our more than 370 corporate members are committed to building a prosperous word of mouth marketing profession based on best practices, measurable ROI, and ethical leadership. Learn more about us at www.womma.org.
CONTACT:
Shannon Stairhime
Editorial and Content Manager
Word of Mouth Marketing Association
312-853-4400
shannon@womma.org
Time is running out to register for the first session in WOMMA's Learn It, Do It Series session. Taking place this Thursday, July 12, in New York City, this half-day educational session will kick off WOMMA's Learn It, Do It Series. You don't want to miss it!
* Learn how to make word of mouth marketing work for you at a half-day session that has you back in the office implementing what you've learned the very same day.
* This is a great way to meet like-minded word of mouth marketers in your area -- and the bargain price makes it perfect for junior staff, as well as experienced WOM aficionados.
>> WOM: Learn It, Do It Series
WOM in the City
July 12 | New York, NY
-------------------------------
We're bringing our WOM smarts to the Big Apple. Join WOMMA and our member-company sponsors GfK Custom Research North America and the 92nd Street Y for an educational course on word of mouth marketing.
Give Me a Capital W-O-M
July 24 | Washington, D.C.
-------------------------------
Join WOMMA and member-company sponsor Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in our nation's capital for a WOM marketing educational extravaganza. We've got the stuff you need to know, and we're bringing it to you.
For more information, or to register now, click here.
>> WOMMA members: We've got a great opportunity for you to drastically increase the value of your WOMMA membership -- and we're offering it at a bargain price.
Between now and Sept. 1, 2007, any WOMMA member company in good standing can upgrade to a Governing Membership for a single payment of $7,000 -- a savings of $3,000. Your new, upgraded membership will be good for 12 calendar months from the date of upgrade, and you will be eligible to enjoy the many benefits of Governing Membership, including:
* One seat on the WOMMA Leadership Committee
* Two additional free listings in WOMMA's Speakers Bureau
(a $500 value)
* Free upgrade to a Featured listing in WOMMA's Buyers Guide
(a $895 value)
* Promotional opportunities, including:
- Prominent identification on all WOMMA member lists
- Annual profile article in the Action Items newsletter
- Promotion at a Governing Member table at WOMMA events
- Company logo on opening session slides at WOMMA events
* $1,500 annual credit toward a WOMMA conference sponsorship
* Attendance at a VIP Governing Member Reception at 2007 Summit
* Participation in Governing Member teleconferences
* Reserved seating at all WOMMA Conferences
* Unlimited listings on the WOMMA Job Board
If you upgrade and we receive payment by Sept. 1, 2007, not only will you enjoy all of the benefits of being a Governing Member, you will receive:
* Either two full registrations for the 2007 Word of Mouth Marketing Summit Nov. 14-15 in Las Vegas (a $1,990 value) or a reserved table for six at the deeply discounted rate of $3,600 (a savings of more than $2,300)
* A complete set of WOMMA's audio and print library (a $495 value)
To upgrade your WOMMA membership status today, contact Tarah Remington at tarah@womma.org.
It's time for WOMMA's second annual Wommie Awards competition, which means it's time for you to show off your best word of mouth marketing work.
WOMMA's Wommie Awards were designed to recognize amazing word of mouth marketing, as well as the smart people who make it happen. The Wommie Awards competition is an easy way for you to strut your stuff and show your industry peers what you've been up to.
All you have to do is submit a 300-word WOM case study to WOMMA's Case Study Library by Sept. 1, 2007, and you'll be eligible to win the word of mouth marketing industry's coveted Wommie Award.
>> For more information or to submit your WOM case study, click here.
WOMMA has just debuted the full agenda for the Word of Mouth Marketing Summit, which is taking place this Nov. 14-15 in Las Vegas. We've got some exciting things in store for our attendees, and it's shaping up to be our best Summit to date.
We can't let all the cats out of the bag just yet, though! Keep your eye on our event website at www.wommasummit.com and be the first to know when we announce new additions to our already amazing program. We'll have hot industry topics, current issues, the trends you need to know, and all the networking opportunities you can handle.
Stay up to date on the latest speakers and panels at Summit.
Even more companies have joined WOMMA. Welcome to:
* OneUpWeb
* The New Media Firm
We thank everyone for their support!
News by, about, and for WOMMA members:
* Congratulations to WOMMA member company SimpleFeed Inc., which was named a Red Herring 100 winner. The Red Herring 100 title is given to the top 100 private companies based in North America that play a leading role in innovation and technology.
* WOMMA Advisory Board member Emanuel Rosen is scheduled to launch a revised and expanded edition of his bestselling book, "The Anatomy of Buzz," in 2008. WOMMA members who would like to share interesting research or case studies are encouraged to email him at emanuel@emanuel-rosen.com.
* Gary Stein of WOMMA member company Ammo Marketing was recently interviewed in Adotas and is featured in an article titled, "Gary Stein Tells It Like It Is."
* Diane Hessan of WOMMA member company Communispace was recently featured in a podcast on the "Buzz Marketing for Technology" blog, which is written by Paul Dunay, Director of Global Field and Interactive Marketing, BearingPoint. To listen to the podcast, click here.
Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.
This week WOMMA kicked off its second annual Wommie Awards competition, and you're officially invited to show off your best word of mouth marketing work. WOMMA's Wommie Awards were designed to recognize amazing word of mouth marketing, as well as the smart people who make it happen. The Wommie Awards competition is an easy way for you to strut your stuff and show your industry peers what you've been up to.
All you have to do is submit a 300-word WOM case study to WOMMA's Case Study Library before Sept. 1, 2007, and you'll be eligible to win the word of mouth marketing industry's coveted Wommie Award.
>> For more information or to submit your WOM case study, click here.
** 4 REASONS TO SUBMIT A WOM CASE STUDY **
--------------------------------------------
1. Get Recognized -- You've already done all the work, now it's time to get the recognition you deserve. Submit your 300-word WOM case study to WOMMA's Case Study Library, then kick back, relax, and start working on your acceptance speech.
2. Stand Out As a WOM Trend-Setter -- WOMMA's Case Study Library is an educational resource used by WOMMA members and non-members alike. By contributing to this growing library of word of mouth marketing works, you're establishing yourself as an expert in this dynamic field.
3. Join the Winner's Circle -- Winning awards is fun! Just ask our 2006 Wommie Award winners: Brains on Fire, The Coca-Cola Company, Hass MS&L, and Yahoo!
4. Awards Ceremony -- Not only will your WOM case study submission live in WOMMA's Case Study Library, but those selected to receive Wommie Awards will also have the opportunity to present at a special awards ceremony at WOMMA's Word of Mouth Marketing Summit (www.wommasummit.com), taking place Nov. 14-15 in Las Vegas.
If you're looking to brush up on your word of mouth education this summer, why not start with some of WOMMA's past WOM Wednesday Teleconferences? They're all available for download exclusively for WOMMA members in our Member Center. Among them:
* "How to Start a Brand Ambassador Movement"
Featuring Susanne Fanning, Senior Manager of Public Relations, Fiskars Brands, and Virginia Miracle, Director of Word of Mouth Marketing, Brains on Fire
* "Inside the Launch of Nintendo Wii"
Featuring Stephen Jones, EVP, GolinHarris, and Perrin Kaplan, VP, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Nintendo of America
* "Creating a Bestseller Using WOM"
Featuring Greg Stielstra, Author, PyroMarketing and VP, Marketing, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Bryan Eisenberg, Author, Waiting for Your Cat to Bark and Co-Founder, Future Now
* "Co-creation -- the Ultimate Consumer Engagement"
Featuring John Bell, Managing Director, 360 Digital Influence, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, and David Churbuck, VP, Global Web Marketing, Lenovo
* And many more!
Enrich your word of mouth audio library.
Road trip! WOMMA is taking WOM on the road for a series of half-day educational seminars featuring key players in word of mouth marketing. Learn how to make word of mouth marketing work for you at a half-day session that has you back in the office implementing what you've learned the very same day.
This is a great way to meet like-minded word of mouth marketers in your area -- and the bargain price makes it perfect for junior staff, as well as experienced WOM aficionados.
>> WOM: Learn It, Do It Series
WOM in the City
July 12 | New York, NY
-------------------------------
We're bringing our WOM smarts to the Big Apple. Join WOMMA and our member-company sponsors GfK Custom Research North America and the 92nd Street Y for an educational course on word of mouth marketing.
Give Me a Capital W-O-M
July 24 | Washington, D.C.
-------------------------------
Join WOMMA and member-company sponsor Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in our nation's capital for a WOM marketing educational extravaganza. We've got the stuff you need to know, and we're bringing it to you.
WOM on the West Coast
August 15 | Seattle, WA
-------------------------------
WOMMA is hitting the road and heading for the West Coast. Join us and member-company sponsors Cole & Weber United and Visible Technologies along with sponsor Zaaz as we cover all the basics of word of mouth in our educational, half-day session.
WOM in the City II
September 20 | New York, NY
-------------------------------
Join WOMMA and member-company sponsor GolinHarris as the WOM education road crew makes a return trip to NYC. We're giving East Coast word of mouth marketers a second chance to attend an information-packed, half-day session. Don't miss it!
For more information, or to register now, click here.
On Thursday, June 28, WOMMA hosted its Chicago Schmooze-Fest at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on Navy Pier. A bunch of Chicago-area word of mouth marketers -- along with some dedicated out-of-towners -- made it out, and those who did were treated to some great conversations, introductions, and mouth-watering Cajun treats.
* For WOMMA members, the networking event served as an occasion to reconnect and recharge.
* For WOMMA newbies, this was a great chance to plug in to the greater WOM community, bounce ideas off of like-minded marketers, and experience firsthand the excitement inherent in this dynamic industry.
Thanks once again to Gfk Custom Research North America for making this event possible, and to everyone who braved the windy Chicago evening to come out and have a good time.
Even more companies have joined WOMMA. Welcome to:
* Marina Maher Communications
* Doghouse Days
* MediaSource
* United States Holocaust Museum
* Office This
We thank everyone for their support!
News by, about, and for WOMMA members:
* Congratulations to WOMMA member company Fleishman-Hillard, which was recently awarded the 2007 "Best of Silver Anvil" award for its pro-bono work in developing, launching, and executing Project E.R.A.S.E. (Eradicating Respiratory Asthma in Schools to Help Children Excel) in New York.
* Congratulations to WOMMA member company Weber Shandwick, which ranked No. 1 in PRWeek's 2007 Agency Excellence Survey. The ranking was based on overall client satisfaction, likelihood to recommend, likelihood to rehire, and key performance criteria ratings.
* Chris Boni, of WOMMA member company PopularMedia, and Andy Sernovitz, founding CEO of WOMMA and CEO of WOMMA member company GasPedal, will be speaking on a webinar titled "Capitalizing on the Word of Mouth Channel" on Thursday, July 19, at 9 a.m. PDT. For more information, or to attend, click here.
* WOMMA member company Mimeo.com recently launched a new blog called, "The Rogue Marketer." Authored by Jeff Grill, Mimeo.com's VP of Marketing, the blog focuses on advertising and marketing trends and can be found here.
* Terrance Heath, of WOMMA member company EchoDitto, was a panelist at the Fair Trade Federation Conference on June 3. Heath's panel, titled "Innovative Ways to Increase Your Business: Cultivating Networks," received much positive feedback from conference attendees.
Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.
← June 2007 | WOMMA News Blog Home | August 2007 →
This is old content! The WOMMA News Blog has been retired. For the new stuff, visit 