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New Report on Disclosure and Organized WOM
For most people, whether or not someone is affiliated with a marketing organization does not matter as long as the affiliation is disclosed. That's the key finding in a study on disclosure and organized word of mouth programs conducted by Walter Carl of Northeastern University. The study concluded that 75% of people engaged in conversations felt it was more important that they trusted the WOM agent and that they knew that person was providing an honest opinion and that their best interests were being looked after.
Other key findings include:
* Disclosure does not generally have a negatively effect on key metrics like credibility, inquiry, use, purchase, and pass along/relay.
* Talking about a brand or service with an agent increased the believability of a complementary print, radio, TV, or Web ad.
* Participation in organized word of mouth marketing programs does not undermine the effectiveness of word of mouth communication.
Disclosure: Walter Carl is a member of WOMMA's Advisory Board.
Source: Walter Carl, Northeastern University, "To Tell Or Not To Tell? Assessing the Practical Benefits of Disclosure for Word-of-Mouth Marketing Agents and Their Conversational Partners".