Update: Free PDF of Admap article

As an update to an earlier post here's a link to a free PDF version of the Admap article: "Is Talking Getting You Anywhere? Measuring WOM Marketing." (Get it now because the link is only good for 30 days. Tick tock, tick tock...).

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Tags: WOM word of mouth Word-of-Mouth Marketing marketing communication

WOMMA Webinar: Measuring the Value of WOM, Come Rain or Come Shine

What are you doing at noon EST on Thursday, April 9th?

You should be calling in to the free webinar I am doing (courtesy of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association) on how to measure the value of consumer conversations. It's free whether you are a WOMMA member or not. Here's the official blurb:

Whether the days are cloudy or sunny, or your brand is in or out of the money, measuring the value of word of mouth (WOM) has become a strategic imperative. This webinar will guide participants through five ways that consumer conversations impact a brand’s bottom line and offers specific tips and techniques to assess the value of WOM to your brand.

Hope to see you on the call!

Register Here

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Tags: WOM word of mouth Word-of-Mouth Marketing marketing communication

Where is talking getting you? Measuring WOM

Be sure to check out the current issue (April 2009) of Admap which has a series of articles on word of mouth. Articles include:

Where is talking getting you? Measuring WOM
Comparing new models for measuring word-of-mouth ROI, such as Conversation Value, Momentum Effect and Net Promoter Economics. 
Dr Walter Carl, ChatThreads

Influencers are essential in driving WOM
As demand for word-of-mouth marketing has grown, so has the need for insight into how influencers stimulate demand. 
Ed Keller and Brad Fay, Keller Fay Group

Empower consumers to shape the brand
Getting word-of-mouth right is not about telling people what to think, and may require a change in corporate culture. 
Ivan Palmer, Wildfire

Paying lip service is not enough
Word-of-mouth needs to be integrated into the whole brand development process, not tacked on as an afterthought. 
Geoff Gray, Naked Communications

Tap into passions of brand advocates
To ensure productive and long-term conversations with consumers, a brand must first identify its discursive matrix. 
Molly Flatt, 1000heads

The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited

If you haven't heard yet be sure to check out Emanuel Rosen's newly revised book The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited. I have long advocated the original version of the book and have used it in teaching my classes on word of mouth and social media. I would tell people that if they could only read one book on WOM marketing to read this one. But after talking with Emanuel about his plans to rewrite the original and being interviewed for it I am now recommending that people read the new version. Here's the marketing blurb I wrote for it:

"I'm sorry to say I can't recommend The Anatomy of Buzz as my top pick anymore. There's something better out there and it's called The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited. Like its predecessor, it's accessible, compelling, and is based on solid principles of how word of mouth works, but this book has been completely revamped to include fresh material, new topics, and the latest research."

You might also be interested in Guy Kawasaki's interview of Emanuel Rosen. Be sure to check out question 13 in this interview: "How can a company effectively measure the buzz it's generating?"

The book is officially available February 24th.

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Tags: WOM word of mouth Word-of-Mouth Marketing marketing communication

What Does Facebook Do?

Facebook has a new way of describing itself.

It used to be: "Facebook is a social utility that connects you to the people around you."

Now it's: "Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life."

Rather than describing what it is AND what it does, it now just describes what it does. In this case, I think it's a better move because most people never really understood what a "social utility" is. Plus, it shifts the locus of agency from Facebook to you, the user.

If anyone knows of any other self-descriptions Facebook had throughout its history please mention in the comments.

Mapping the Social Networks of a Small Town

There's a fascinating article in the New York Times about how Unilver is attempting to map the spread of conversations about their Vaseline lotion, Clinical Therapy, in an Alaskan town. 

Through mapping the conversations Unilever was able to identify a network hub, Petal Ruch, who was apparently the most well-connected town resident. Unilever's advertising  agency and production company then built a marketing campaign around her story.

The network map is supposed to make its way onto a branded website called Prescribe the Nation.

Given my research on mapping the conversational geography of word of mouth and my work with ChatThreads I'm especially interested in this endeavor and will watch with interest how this develops.

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Tags: WOM word of mouth Word-of-Mouth Marketing marketing communication

Why iPhone Didn't Get Me (Yet)

(Cross-posted from ChatterBox blog)

I have used a Palm for a number of years: Palm IIIe, Zire 71, Treo 600, Treo 650, and currently my Treo 700p -- and love smartphones.

But I have used Apple computers for even longer -- Apple IIe, IIGS, Mac Powerbook G3 and most recently my 24" iMac -- so I was naturally intrigued by the iPhone.

Three factors made this a relevant time for me to consider switching to the iPhone: 1) the new iPhone 3G release, 2) my wife's mobile phone was falling slowly towards its demise and my Treo 700p is on the older side, and 3) we have both fulfilled our contract so there's no penalty fee for switching.

And if you know your research on word of mouth you know that conditions of higher risk and uncertainty are fertile grounds for WOM and information-seeking behavior. This was true for me. Everyone I see who has an iPhone I've talked to and I've asked about their experiences with it. I watched the Steve Jobs keynote when the new iPhone was released, and have read a number of online ratings and reviews from lay and professional reviewers.

So, why haven't I switched?

First of all, let's pause for a second because most research on persuasion and influence focuses on change, not maintenance, of existing behaviors.(A point I learned especially well in grad school with my advisor, Dr. Steve Duck, who often noted that research on personal relationship tended to focus more on relationship change rather than sustaining or maintaining relationships).

But there's a lot of insight we can learn by focusing on why things DON'T change, just as much as why things DO change (and perhaps more so).

Why I'm tempted to switch to the iPhone:

1) Sleek interface

2) The promise (but not necessarily reality) of a seamless experience with my Mac via MobileMe

3) App Store

4) Larger screen

5) Better music, video, and photo experience

But why didn't I switch?

1) Mobile phone network. I don't like being forced to switch from Verizon to AT&T.

2) I have a lot of money invested in software and peripherals for my Treo. Dictionaries, eReader Pro, Agendus, Clock Wireless, Docs to Go, PDA Net, Volume Care, Missing Sync, and games like Scrabble and Monopoly, expansion cards, sync cables, chargers, extra battery, etc.

3) Replaceable battery. It bothers me that you can't replace the battery in the iPhone.

4) I can use my Treo to tether to my laptop to get an internet connection (using PDA Net).

5) Developers are still programming for Treo, such as the TypePad and Facebook apps, so I feel I'm still current.

6) I use iTunes but I don't like being bound to it. I like that I can load my own MP3s (I still buy old school CDs so I can rip them and use them in both iTunes and on my Treo).

7) Identity reasons. I like to think I make autonomous decisions (though I know this is often a pleasant fiction I tell myself) and am not interested in switching just because something is shiny and new. Plus, my Treo 700p still works great and there's some pride in using it until it dies (though note this is near last on my list and didn't stop me in anyway from switching from the 600 and 650, both of which I sold on eBay in order to upgrade).

8) It seemed a lot of money for both me and my wife to switch to new iPhones. We save money being on the same network so our decision is going to be a mutual one.

So my wife and I decided to stay put -- for relational reasons having to do with the fact that we are in it together, functional reasons, identity, and financial reasons. And she just ended up buying a Palm Centro.

More reason to stay put, for now!

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Tags: WOM word of mouth Word-of-Mouth Marketing marketing communication