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
