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Special thanks to:
Dave Evans, HearThis.com, for producing our amazing podcast, Conference Calls Unlimited for the podcast hosting call-in service, and the fanstic WOMMA members who have volunteered their time and energy to make this all happen.
Editors:
Dana Vanden Heuvel, Jennifer Nastu, and the WOMMA staff.
Home > April 2006
April 2006 Archive
How-To: Creating Consumer Conversations
5 Tips from M80's Dave Neupert
Many brands aren't yet aware that it's possible to have two-way 'conversations' with consumers, believes Dave Neupert, CEO of M80. "Everything's transparent, that's the key," he says. "It's simply empowering organic word of mouth through using authentic voices."
Here Dave shares five practical tips on creating customer conversations based on his experiences helping brands gather authentic brand ambassadors.
Tip #1. Don't try to recreate the wheel
Look for people in communities where the brand is already being talked about. This can be as simple as beginning with a search on Google, community sites, or social networking sites such as MySpace or Facebook. Look for the biggest community talking about the product. Find the webmasters of those communities.
Tip #2. Begin communications (not marketing)
Research is just as important as marketing. Spend time discovering the real conversations. Then, reach out. If you've found the right people -- already interested in your brand -- they should be happy to hear from you.
Tip #3. Let them share, ask them to share
You can build tools such as videos your influencers can share with the others they interact with online. You can also ask them to share personal information, such as photos of themselves, stories of interactions with your brand, and answers to surveys and polls.
Tip #4. "Membership has its privileges"
Launch contests, offer freebies, and let them know you're aware of their efforts. For example, some communities build tools to measure pass-along. When community members pass along a video, the pass-along tool measures how many times each individual forwarded it. Then, says Dave, you can do contests to see who forwarded the video the most.
Tip #5. Let them know their opinion matters
Once you've empowered a community, it's a customer relationship initiative. The more you stay in touch with that customer, the more you know what they want. While you may find it useful to create a community for just a short time period -- say, a matter of months for a specific promotion around a specific product -- it usually makes sense to maintain those relationships.
"Once consumers realize that their voice has an impact, that we're listening, it's powerful," Dave summarizes. "Consumers are really the marketers these days, and other traditional advertising methods don't have the same impact they used to have."
More about Dave:
Read Dave's WOMBAT presentation (PDF download)
Posted on 04/26/06 | 1 Comments | Link
How-To: Avoiding Mistakes in Word of Mouth
5 Tips from DDB Issues and Advocacy's Pamela Long
Word of mouth is brilliant when practiced appropriately, but what about those campaigns that aren't so successful or are just plain offensive?
"A bad word of mouth campaign is perhaps the best way to turn off consumers and create negative talk value for your company and brand," says Pamela Long, Management Supervisor and Director of the New York office for DDB Issues & Advocacy.
Here are Pamela's tips on avoiding word of mouth mistakes:
Tip #1. Watch for "Strategically flawed from the get-go"
Recently Quaker Chewy Granola bars hired street teams to drop individually wrapped granola bars throughout the city, on the ground. Though many consumers may have noticed them, who wants to eat "found food?"
Tip #2. Avoid messengers that lack credibility
Somehow, marketers have decided it's okay to hire cheap labor to promote products (mostly in the form of college students looking for beer money, or models looking for exposure).
The quality of your message depends largely on the quality of your messenger. Sending out uninformed kids in matching t-shirts, or paying an uninspired celebrity to talk up your product, is a sure-fire way to guarantee a negative brand experience.
Tip #3. Find your target audience
Non-targeted or poorly targeted approaches amount to wasted marketing dollars. As with any other marketing tactic, WOM campaigns should begin with an understanding and agreement on who the campaign targets. Getting a reaction with no regard for who is impacted is irresponsible and wasteful.
Tip #4. Forcefeeding is not nice
A recent WOM campaign targeted commuters in Seattle on ferry boats. Not only were people annoyed, they were downright ticked off. A captive audience might seem appealing as you are planning a campaign, but you shouldn't have to force people to be a part of it. WOM efforts should invite rather than invade.
Tip #5. Make WOM relevant and easy
Whether it's a little bit of online entertainment to escape from work briefly, or an actual physical product being handed out on the street, make it relevant and easy -- and think it out. If it doesn't make sense, doesn't tie in to the brand, or just isn't practical for the environment it's living in, don't do it.
More about Pamela:
Posted on 04/26/06 | 0 Comments | Link
How-To: Taking Awareness to the Next Level
5 Tips from Ammo Marketing's Gary Stein
Word of mouth has always been around, so why has it gotten so much recognition lately? "Relationships are a bigger priority than awareness," says Gary Stein, Director of Strategy for Ammo Marketing. "WOM is really an understanding that people have discussions and that those discussions are often based on need."
Here are Gary's five tips on taking awareness to the next level:
Tip #1. WOM is the execution of a relationship strategy
Relationships are more important to consumers than an awareness of a product. A consumer suffering from allergies may be aware of Claritin. However, he may not take it until a friend asks, "Have you ever tried Claritin?"
In other words, advertising may have achieved the consumer's top-of-mind, but that only goes so far. When consumers are given opportunities for that awareness to pop out of their heads -- during gatherings, in online conversations, between friends -- WOM takes off.
Tip #2. Surprise drives WOM
People talk about surprising things. A recent buzz campaign by Freestyle Interactive and Ammo Marketing scattered oranges in the streets of major cities for the launch of "The Godfather: The Game". The surprise element -- walking to work and seeing oranges everywhere -- drives people to investigate.
Tip #3. Suspension of disbelief drives WOM
Remember "Blair Witch"? Though people knew it was make-believe, they loved to play along. Was there really a witch? Did those kids really disappear? They discussed it with each other, told each other the story, debated which parts -- if any -- were true.
Tip #4. Doubt drives WOM
The irritation of doubt preys on the mind. Put somebody in the position of wondering about what they have seen, and they are driven to find answers which.
Tip #5. Community is a brand asset -- treat it as such
If you've got a community around your brand, treat is as a brand asset. Put a valuation in annual reports, on balance sheets, and whenever you do reporting. It could be a rough estimation under a "goodwill" line item, but it should count for something. A consumer packaged goods company with an active 500-person community should be able to say, "That is worth X amount of dollars."
More about Gary:
Read a summary of Gary's WOMBAT presentation
Posted on 04/20/06 | 0 Comments | Link
How-To: Conducting Ethical WOM Campaigns
5 Tips from WOMMA's Andy Sernovitz
"Our medium is consumer trust," says Andy Sernovitz, CEO of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. "People don't recommend products or companies they don't believe in. If you burn consumer trust, the whole thing goes away. Being ethical in WOM campaigns is of primary importance. And it's the right thing to do."
Here are Andy's five tips on conducting ethical WOM campaigns. The first three tips are called the Honesty ROI and form the basis of the WOMMA Code of Ethics.
Tip #1. Honesty of relationship
Never lie about your relationship with the consumer advocate, and never ask a consumer to lie for you. If an advocate is getting free samples or receives any type of reimbursement, tell people. Turn disclosure into a positive: being a beta-tester conveys insider status, being part of a fan club gives the relationship an aspect of fun.
Disclosure, when done well, gives the advocate credibility.
Tip #2. Honesty of opinion
Consumers have to give true opinions -- you can't script them or tell them what to say. That means WOM marketers are held to a higher standard: you can't get by on so-so products. But when you have fantastic products and open relationships with consumers, you'll get fantastic feedback.
Tip #3. Honesty of identity
Never lie about who you are. Stealth marketing, or hiring shills, is never okay.
Don't send "leaners" into bars to start conversations without revealing who they are. Don't go into chat rooms with 30 login names and pretend to be a consumer. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with a marketer going into a message board and writing, "Hey, I work for so-and-so and just wanted to weigh in on the topic of..."
In fact, companies that participate in communities are seen as caring about the people who are voicing their opinions.
Tip #4. Treat people like real people
Word of mouth is about conversations. If you're having genuine, two-way conversations, you're building trust and relationships. Don't fake it.
Tip #5. Never push the line
Trust, once broken, is not recoverable. Treat trust as your most valuable asset, and protect it and nurture it above all else.
"If you continue to earn respect, people will tell their friends about you. It's really that easy," Andy says.
More about Andy:
Download Andy's Ethics in Word of Mouth Marketing presentation (PDF download)
Posted on 04/20/06 | 2 Comments | Link
How-To: Using e-Fluentials to Promote Your Products
5 Tips from Marsteller's Andrew Nibley
The only real difference between an "influential" and an "e-fluential" is technology. "Where an influential might influence two other people to purchase a product or service, an e-fluential influences, on average, 14 other people," says Andrew Nibley, Chairman and CEO of Marsteller.
Here are Andrew's tips on making those e-fluentials work for you:
Tip #1. Identify your own e-fluentials
Every company has a certain amount of emails coming from customers -- and every email that arrives represents a customer with the ability to have an impact on your business. If you bought a CRM tool and aren't using it, start now. If not, find a way to track and mine incoming email.
Tip #2. Categorize your customers
Look at customers who have contacted you. Divide them into e-fluentials who are happy with your products and services and those who are not.
Tip #3. Keep the happy ones happy
Make sure that the e-fluentials who love you get your latest, greatest products before those products are launched to the public. People love to talk about the things they love, so give them something to talk about. Doing so also keeps a line of communication open, an important element in creating brand advocates.
Tip #4. Turn negative e-fluentials around
Find out what the unhappy e-fluentials are upset about. Then fix the problem. If you can change their view of your company and/or your product by solving their problem, you've got an advocate who will go to everyone in their social network and brag about how they got you to improve your products and services.
Tip #5. Re-engage the negative e-fluentials
Once you've turned a negative e-fluential into an advocate, give them the same treatment that you give the ones who love you. Lavish them with new products before they hit the market, so they continue to have reasons to talk about you on their networks.
More about Andrew:
Read Andrew's shared WOM vs. Ads presentation (PDF download)
Posted on 04/20/06 | 0 Comments | Link
How-To: Building Buzz for a New Television Series
5 Tips from DEI Worldwide's David Reis
When Showtime launched its new series "Weeds", the network knew that 60 percent of consumers research entertainment choices online. Executives approached DEI Worldwide to build buzz around the premiere of the show.
Based on his work with Showtime, DEI Worldwide's CEO David Reis shares five tips on how to build buzz.
Tip #1. Create compelling creative
Over a two month period, David worked closely with Showtime to design compelling marketing messages that supported and complemented Showtime's other marketing efforts. Messages were tailored to best match the interests of each audience (African-American, gay, marijuana enthusiasts, general cable viewers, etc.).
Tip #2. Choose venues carefully
DEI developed an extensive list of chat rooms, message boards, and Instant Messenger message delivery locations for the campaign based on Showtime's desired target audience.
Tip #3. Prepare in-house team for one-on-one conversations
David wanted DEI's in-house marketing associates to engage in one-on-one conversations with consumers about the show, but he knew they needed to have the ability to educate their audience. With that in mind, the associates screened preview episodes of "Weeds" before the series aired and were trained carefully to understand and deliver Showtime's marketing messages.
Tip #4. Be flexible
Through supervision, training, and communication, DEI's team was able to provide valuable marketplace feedback to Showtime. That allowed for constant tweaking of messages and targets, and the ability to dispel negative or false perceptions in real time.
Tip #5. Provide more information
Consumers felt privileged to learn more about "Weeds" and get insider information about a "cool" new series, and David found that a link to the promo was a key to increasing interest and intent to watch the show. He made the recommendation to Showtime to provide even more 'exclusive' information to enhance future word of mouth results.
Over the course of the campaign, series viewership scaled upwards 210 percent, traffic on the show's website spiked, and awareness of "Weeds" increased from 8.3 percent to 14.5 percent -- a total increase of 62.7 percent.
More about David:
Read David's WOM vs. Ads presentation (PDF download)
Posted on 04/ 7/06 | 0 Comments | Link
How-To: Using e-Fluentials to Promote Your Products
5 Tips from Marsteller's Andrew Nibley
The only real difference between an "influential" and an "e-fluential" is technology. "Where an influential might influence two other people to purchase a product or service, an e-fluential influences, on average, 14 other people," says Andrew Nibley, Chairman and CEO of Marsteller.
Here are Andrew's tips on making those e-fluentials work for you:
Tip #1. Identify your own e-fluentials
Every company has a certain amount of emails coming from customers -- and every email that arrives represents a customer with the ability to have an impact on your business. If you bought a CRM tool and aren't using it, start now. If not, find a way to track and mine incoming email.
Tip #2. Categorize your customers
Look at customers who have contacted you. Divide them into e-fluentials who are happy with your products and services and those who are not.
Tip #3. Keep the happy ones happy
Make sure that the e-fluentials who love you get your latest, greatest products before those products are launched to the public. People love to talk about the things they love, so give them something to talk about. Doing so also keeps a line of communication open, an important element in creating brand advocates.
Tip #4. Turn negative e-fluentials around
Find out what the unhappy e-fluentials are upset about. Then fix the problem. If you can change their view of your company and/or your product by solving their problem, you've got an advocate who will go to everyone in their social network and brag about how they got you to improve your products and services.
Tip #5. Re-engage the negative e-fluentials
Once you've turned a negative e-fluential into an advocate, give them the same treatment that you give the ones who love you. Lavish them with new products before they hit the market, so they continue to have reasons to talk about you on their networks.
More about Andrew:
Read Andrew's shared WOM vs. Ads presentation (PDF download)
Posted on 04/ 7/06 | 0 Comments | Link
April 5 Teleconference: How to Create a Viral Word of Mouth Campaign
WORD OF MOUTH WEDNESDAYS
Every Wednesday at noon EST
This Wednesday, April 5:
"How to Create a Viral Word of Mouth Campaign"
Mark Kingdon, CEO, Organic
Virginia Miracle, Head of Word of Mouth, Dell
* Learn creative elements likely to get passed along
* Discover how to start the virus spreading
* Understand how to track and measure results
Coming up on April 19: Word of Mouth Ethics
Sign up here -- Next call is Wednesday!
http://womma.org/telecon.htm
Posted on 04/ 3/06 | 0 Comments | Link
How-To: Integrating Word of Mouth into your Marketing and Communications Programs
5 Tips from Fleishman-Hillard's Dan Horowitz
"If you just want to talk 'to' your audience versus 'with' them, then WOM isn't for you," says Dan Horowitz, Co-Chair of Fleishman-Hillard's Interactive Practice Group. "But if you want to engage, enlighten, and empower your key audiences, then make sure you integrate WOM into all of your marketing and communications."
Here are Dan's five tips on integrating WOM into your marketing and communications programs.
Tip #1. Build relationships
WOM is just another opportunity to build real, lasting relationships with customers and other key stakeholders. Like any good relationship, programs should be built on trust, transparency, and two-way conversations.
Tip #2. Start small
Nothing helps establish the value of your new approach like real life examples. Implement one manageable, measurable tactic to help demonstrate WOM's worth before recommending full integration within your marketing efforts.
For example, try "pilot" blogs that are assessed and measured at the end of a two-month period based on initial goals: number of posts, number of visitors, number of mentions by third-parties.
Tip #3. Develop metrics
Look beyond typical metrics: if ACME Company creates a registration-based online community and nearly half of the sign-ups come from "tell-a-friend", you can see the clear impact of WOM. Also be sure to look at how members who joined via the WOM promotion differ from other participants. Were they more active? Were they more likely to refer additional members? Did they churn less?
Tip #4. Let it evolve
WOM is about encouraging evolution in your messaging. Want control? Buy an ad. Want honest discussion of your products? Embrace WOM.
For example, Fleishman-Hillard represents a well-known food product company. When it launched a new product line, we sent samples of the product to a list of key online editors and bloggers, asking only that they write a fair review of the product, disclosing that they were offered a free sample by Fleishman-Hillard. The reviews were positive overall; the constructive criticism allowed the company to re-assess its messaging and positioning.
Tip #5. Integrate promotions
View your WOM program in terms of online and offline impact. A registration-based online community might be promoted via a website, e-newsletter, and relevant third-party sites. However, don’t forget to utilize offline PR, events, and other traditional channels to promote it. Integration leads to exponential results for WOM programs.
More about Dan:
Posted on 04/ 3/06 | 0 Comments | Link
How-To: Creating a BtoB WOM Campaign
5 Tips from Intuit's Maggie Colby
"People say that for business-to-business, it's so hard to do word of mouth," says Maggie Colby, Acting Director of Intuit Marketing Excellence. "Ultimately, our customers are people just like everyone else, so you have to figure out a way to have your brand communicate with them beyond just the service you're offering."
In order for word of mouth to be effective, it should fit into an overall marketing strategy, Maggie believes. Here are her five tips on creating word of mouth campaign for the BtoB marketplace.
Tip #1. Connect with customers on emotional basis
One year around Valentine's Day, Intuit wanted to put together a promotion to drive people to the new QuickBooks online community and to convince them to register and use the site. As she looked for a way to connect with these customers emotionally, Maggie narrowed in on the company's contracting and construction community. She realized that many contractors run their businesses as husband-and-wife teams, so she put together a promotion asking those teams to "honor their Valentine" and enter their three tips on working with a "significant other."
Tip #2. Suggest a specific action
Maggie sent an email to inform all contractor customers that they could win $1,000 by entering their tips. In order to enter, they had to register and use the new community site. Thus, they gained experience in using the community -- the ultimate goal of the campaign -- as part of the campaign itself.
Tip #3. Include the press
Maggie contacted key people in the press who cover the contractor segment to let them know about the contest. In that way, they became involved and helped promote the campaign.
Tip #4. Let your customers do the talking
All entries were posted on the community with no editing. By allowing customers complete control over their input, it got them involved. By the end of the promotion, 716 people had written in their tips.
Tip #5. Leverage the promotion after the promotion ends
After the promotion had closed, Maggie's team looked for trends among the tips that had been sent. They pulled them together as a promotional piece, which they again sent to key influencers in the press. The winners of the $1,000 were interviewed, and were asked to talk to the press when the writers needed more information.
More about Maggie:
Posted on 04/ 3/06 | 1 Comments | Link
How-To: Creating Consumer Conversations
How-To: Avoiding Mistakes in Word of Mouth
How-To: Taking Awareness to the Next Level
How-To: Conducting Ethical WOM Campaigns
How-To: Using e-Fluentials to Promote Your Products
How-To: Building Buzz for a New Television Series
W hodgson on How-To: Synthesizing Oral Communication
Michael Rubin on 43 Ideas You can Implement Tomorrow (REVISED: LIST AVAILABLE IN COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL RUBIN)
Natalie Jost on How-To: Launching Blogs to Increase Sales
Deborah Chaddock on How-To: Putting Secret Insights into Practice
Ben Bicais on How-To: Creating a Web Site that Encourages WOM
James Clark on How-To: Joining the Conversation
Simon Adams on 43 Ideas You can Implement Tomorrow (REVISED: LIST AVAILABLE IN COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL RUBIN)
Jeremy on How-To: Synthesizing Oral Communication
john on 43 Ideas You can Implement Tomorrow (REVISED: LIST AVAILABLE IN COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL RUBIN)
Gina Kay on How-To: Synthesizing Oral Communication