Updates from November, 2006

• 14) Individual Differences, Social Networks, and Word of Mouth Influence
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 2:35 pm on November 30, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  A-Blog-a-Day Countdown to WOMMA’s Word of Mouth Marketing Research Symposium in Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2006.
  From WOMMA’s soon-to-be-released book, Measuring Word of Mouth Volume 2:
  
  Individual Differences, Social Networks, and Word of Mouth Influence
  In their MWOMv2 paper, Informative Strategic Consultant Harald Eltvedt and University of California, Riverside Distinguished Professor of Psychology Dr. Howard Friedman highlight the important role of individual advocates and their potential impact in word of mouth episodes. The authors lay out unique communication-based characteristics (such as, emotionally expressive style, social connectedness, credibility and expertise, and recommendation- and action-oriented style) which can be used to identify advocates, as well as the specific methods to assess each person’s level of advocacy based on these characteristics.
  Eltvedt and Friedman then relate how they tested their theoretical model with a panel of over 10,000 consumers across multiple industries and brands. The results confirm their theoretical model and its utility for application to word of mouth marketing. More specifically, results show that the word of mouth advocacy of influential individuals drives company growth.
  Want to know more? Come see this paper presented at WOMMA’s Research Symposium in Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2006.
  
  Register Today

  

  

   

• 13) Does Participation in an Agent-Based Word of Mouth Marketing Program Cause or Predict Future Elevated Product Usage? A Case Study from Higher One’s B-4 Program
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 5:33 pm on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  A-Blog-a-Day Countdown to WOMMA’s Word of Mouth Marketing Research Symposium in Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2006.
  From WOMMA’s soon-to-be-released book, Measuring Word of Mouth Volume 2:
  
  Does Participation in an Agent-Based Word of Mouth Marketing Program Cause or Predict Future Elevated Product Usage? A Case Study from Higher One’s B-4 Program
  Sean Glass, Nicolas Carlona, and Chris LaConte from Higher One researched the effects of consumer participation in a word of mouth marketing program where participants were invited to:
  * Receive a product before others in their social networks
  * Spread the word
  * Report back to the marketing company about the product-related word of mouth episodes
  The researchers set out to assess the ROI of this kind of word of mouth program by investigating whether being introduced to a product or service through participation in the “B-4″ campaign led to higher usage of the product, which in this case, was a financial checking account and debit card for university students. Results indicated a positive correlation between participation in the B-4 word of mouth marketing program and product usage, both when the customer was introduced to the product through the WOM program as well as when the customer participated in the program as an existing customer.
  Want to know more? Come see this paper presented at WOMMA’s Research Symposium in Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2006.
  Register Today

  

  

   

• Press Release: Creating a Word of Mouth Craze: WOMMA Presents Mentos, Rock Paper Scissors at Word of Mouth Marketing Summit
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 5:28 pm on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Chicago, IL 11-29-2006 — The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) today announced two new speakers at its Word of Mouth Marketing Summit: Mentos’ Pete Healy and The World Rock Paper Scissors Society’s Douglas Walker. Sign up now, or miss your chance to see these word of mouth superstars!
  WOMMA’s Word of Mouth Marketing Summit will take place in Washington, D.C., Dec. 12-13 and is packed with exciting authors and more than 70 expert speakers — including keynote Ted Leonsis, vice chairman of AOL. But time is running out to register for the word of mouth marketing industry’s signature event. To see the full agenda, and to register, visit http://www.womma.org/summit2.
  Keynote Announced
  WOMMA’s latest keynote speaker, Mentos’ Pete Healy, embraced and leveraged one of the year’s greatest viral sensations: the Mentos/Diet Coke video. When the viral clip first started making waves, Healy used the momentum to Mentos’ advantage, running ads behind the Eepybird.com videos and launching a Mentos Geyser contest on YouTube. Healy’s response turned the novelty of the Mentos/Diet Coke videos into a benchmark for word of mouth marketing success. In his Dec. 13 keynote speech, Healy will detail how his company’s willingness to hand the reigns over to consumer-generated media resulted in an estimated $10 million in “free advertising.”
  Rock Paper Scissors Presentation/Competition Announced
  On Dec. 12, Douglas Walker — interactive strategist at TBWA/Toronto, managing director of the World RPS Society, and co-author of “The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide” — will explain the key success factor behind the World Rock Paper Scissors Society: frequently mutating an idea to keep word of mouth flourishing. Following Walker’s presentation will be a lively Rock Paper Scissors networking competition, where attendees will have the chance to meet, greet, and defeat their fellow attendees.
  WOMMA’s Word of Mouth Marketing Summit is crammed with informative sessions and exciting take-aways for attendees — including a free CD of conference audio, a free dinner, and free copies of Greg Stielstra’s “PyroMarketing,” Debbie Weil’s “The Corporate Blogging Book,” and Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg’s “Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?”
  To see a full roster of speakers and sessions, and to register, visit http://www.womma.org/summit2.
  About WOMMA
  WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry. Our more than 300 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 http://www.womma.org.

  

  

   

• Mentos, Rock Paper Scissors Talk WOM at WOMMA Summit
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:56 am on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  WOMMA’s Word of Mouth Marketing Summit is just two weeks away, and we’ve got two brand new reasons for you to register:
  1. Doug Walker, managing director of the World Rock Paper Scissors Society and co-author of “The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide,” will engage attendees in an exclusive networking event on Day One of the Summit. Learn how Walker turned Rock Paper Scissors from a game into a word of mouth phenomenon. Then, challenge your peers to a match!
  2. Mentos’ Pete Healy will keynote Day Two of the Summit. Learn why his company, maker of Mentos candy, embraced viral video and find out how he helped make the now famous Mentos/Diet Coke craze a word of mouth marketing success.
  Plus, all attendees receive a free dinner, a free CD of conference audio, and three free books, including Greg Stielstra’s “PyroMarketing,” Debbie Weil’s “The Corporate Blogging Book,” and Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg’s “Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?” So register today — before it’s too late!
  Sign up

  

  

   

• FTC Examines Marketing in the Next ‘Tech-ade’
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:55 am on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  The Federal Trade Commission wrapped up its three-day “Protecting Consumers in the Next Tech-Ade” conference early this month. The conference explored the ways in which globalization and technology are impacting consumer protection. It featured experts from the business, government, and technology sectors, as well as consumer advocates and academics, all discussing how changes in demographics, marketing practices, and technology will affect future consumers. Discussion topics included internet marketing, blogging, social networking, and user-generated content.
  By holding the conference, the FTC is following the example set by many of the businesses it oversees: placing consumers at the forefront of conversations about new marketing tools and techniques. WOMMA supports all such dialog and recently launched its new Practical Ethics program in full support of consumer protection.
  Discover WOMMA’s Practical Ethics program
  Learn more (FTC Tech-ade Blog)
  Learn more (FTC)

  

  

   

• Dove: Viral Video Outperforms Super Bowl Ad
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:53 am on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Super Bowl advertisements are big, sure, but if you ask Dove, viral marketing is bigger. The Unilever brand created a 75-second viral film, titled “Evolution,” that has received more than 1.7 million views on YouTube — a fraction of the 500 million impressions gained by its 2006 Super Bowl spot, but impressive given its comparative ROI. While its 30-second spot for the Super Bowl cost $2.5 million, Dove’s YouTube upload cost nothing and generated three times the traffic on its “Campaign For Real Beauty” website. Dove owes its success in large part to bloggers, who have made its clip one of the Top 15 most-linked-to videos in the blogosphere.
  Learn more (MarketingVox)
  Learn more (AdAge)

  

  

   

• Marketers Start Conversations in Dorm Laundries
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:53 am on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Hoping to spark conversations among young consumers, the United States National Guard this month became the first major U.S. advertiser to sponsor a network of electronic “laundry boards” in college dormitories nationwide. While the boards, conceived of by WOMMA member company Alloy Media + Marketing, will initially contain more traditional advertisements, they will eventually include viral marketing techniques, too — including “clings,” whereby marketers place or distribute items with ads attached to them in order to generate buzz within a community of consumers.
  Learn more

  

  

   

• Sears Launches Social Shopping Site for Moms
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:51 am on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Sears has launched a unique website especially for holiday shoppers designed not only to help them find gifts, but also to discuss potential purchases with other consumers. The website, http://www.readysetholiday.com, reaches out to moms, in particular, with a “Mom-to-Mom” discussion board, where shoppers can share peer-to-peer product reviews and shopping tips, and a “Kidzone,” where users can send one another e-cards with their wish lists, holiday greetings, etc. The social shopping site is just one example of how word of mouth marketing is changing not only how consumers shop, but also how companies sell.
  Learn more (Sears)
  Learn more (BizReport)
  Learn more (Chicago Sun-Times)

  

  

   

• Viral Email Drives Web Traffic for BMW
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:50 am on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  BMW has found viral marketing success with a recent email campaign designed for its Mini division. Users who visit Mini’s website can design their own car, which drives across their screen and spells out a personalized message with its tire tracks. Users can share their message and their car with friends by emailing them a link to Mini’s website. By sending the hyperlink rather than the message, Mini not only enables word of mouth, but drives traffic to its website, too.
  Learn more

  

  

   

• Bebo Bands Grows Thanks to Fans Who Share Music
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:49 am on November 29, 2006 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Since its July launch, social networking site Bebo Bands has recruited more than 120,000 groups and artists, according to WOMMA member company Bebo, which operates the music-sharing website. The company attributes much of its success to word of mouth among both musicians, who can share information with their “groupies” via member profiles, and music fans, who can make recommendations to one another via sharable playlists and discussion boards. Allowing users to freely share music while they network with friends has proven especially successful for new artists who want to market their music to young listeners.
  Learn more