Updates from February, 2007

• Starbucks Customers Wear Preferences On Their Sleeve
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:03 am on February 28, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Starbucks knows its customers have extreme drink preferences. The company also knows that so many coffee-related decisions can be intimidating for the uninitiated. The milk choices alone — whole, 2%, nonfat, soy, organic, breve, no foam, extra foamy, etc. — are enough to trip up the uninformed. So Starbucks has created a site that details all of the beverage choices, and is letting latte loyalists design their own branded T-shirts that reflect their unique drink preferences.
  At http://www.starbucks.com, enthusiasts can pick and choose various drink elements, as well as icons designed by “Project Runway” cast member Mychael Knight, to individualize their T-shirts — in much the same way that they can personalize their favorite Starbucks beverage. Of course, the T-shirts are free of charge (including shipping costs!), and Starbucks gets to clothe eager fans in custom-made, word-of-mouth-worthy gear.
  Learn more (Yahoo!)

  

  

   

• Presidential Hopefuls Must Navigate WOM-osphere
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:02 am on February 28, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Political candidates are finally acknowledging the impact of online word of mouth and are gearing up to put the power of the online activist community behind their campaigns. When Democrats Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama announced their presidential intentions early this year, both of them did so via online videos hosted on their campaign websites.
  Within a few hours of announcing her bid, Clinton’s website had pulled in 10,000 messages of support as well as 2,200 submissions for a blog contest. The site also signed up 100 people a minute to its email list. While gaining the support of this “netroots” contingent doesn’t guarantee actual election results come 2008, candidates’ online efforts seem to acknowledge that the support — and conversations — of internet supporters could give their campaigns a helpful boost.
  Learn more (Wall Street Journal Online)

  

  

   

• Movie Maker Leverages WOM to Generate Pre-Launch Buzz
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:01 am on February 28, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Before the movie “We Are the Strange” had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last month, its YouTube-hosted trailer had already been downloaded by 648,000 people. The film’s writer (and director, and animator, and effects coordinator), Michael Belmont, has been working hard over the past several years to create a devoted cluster of fans, all of whom have long been anticipating the film’s release.
  Belmont, who is known by fans as “M dot Strange,” has been interacting with his movie’s enthusiasts online, and even went so far as to allow them to suggest possible endings for the film. “We Are the Strange” didn’t fare so well at Sundance (a large portion of the audience left mid-movie), but with the kind of fan base that Belmont was able to accumulate pre-launch, it’s going to take more than a panned premiere to put out the movie’s fire.
  Learn more (New York Times)
  Learn more (Reveries)
  Learn more (We Are the Strange)

  

  

   

• Briefly: Interacting with Consumers, GM Gets Hip with YouTube
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 9:00 am on February 28, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Brands Invite Consumers to Tinker, Interact, and Build Buzz
  GM Enlists WOM Techniques to Reinvigorate Its Image

  

  

   

• Take a Vacation: Join WOMMA in New Orleans April 17-18
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 12:27 pm on February 26, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Are you tired of winter yet? So are we. It’s cold, it’s dark, and we’ve got a serious case of cabin fever. So to celebrate spring, we’re taking our next conference, Word of Mouth Basic Training (WOMBAT), to New Orleans April 17-18!
  Face it, you need a vacation, too. So join us for a much-needed breather in the one and only Big Easy. We’ll be meeting just steps from the French Quarter. And even though Mardi Gras is over, there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Come for the music, come for the food, and come for the culture. Oh yeah, and come for WOMMA’s most amazing word of mouth marketing conference ever!
  Register

  

  

   

• Event Update: Look at the WOMBAT Agenda
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 12:26 pm on February 26, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Ask and ye shall receive: WOMMA has posted the agenda for its next event, Word of Mouth Basic Training (WOMBAT). Taking place April 17-18 in New Orleans, WOMBAT promises to be our most exciting, most dynamic, most bang-for-your-buck event ever. Our program includes 50+ amazing speakers, 16 real case studies, and 16 hands-on how-to’s.
  New Orleans isn’t your typical conference venue, and WOMBAT isn’t your typical conference, either. The word of mouth industry’s official “how-to” event, WOMBAT will wow you with:
  –> An incredible keynote by Chip Heath, the best-selling co-author of “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die”
  –> Real word of mouth case studies from General Mills, Nintendo, O Magazine, and more!
  –> Practical how-to lessons, including:
  * How to Use YouTube as an Effective Marketing Tool
  * How to Advertise with Word of Mouth
  * How to Create Customer Evangelists
  * How to Use Blogs to Keep the Buzz Going
  * And more!
  We are adding more content, more speakers, and more value every day, so check the agenda often.
  View the WOMBAT agenda

  

  

   

• Teleconference: Learn Word of Mouth from Microsoft
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 12:25 pm on February 26, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  Join us Wednesdays at noon EST for WOM Wednesdays, WOMMA’s ongoing teleconference series. Just register, dial in, and listen up to get the ideas that will truly expand your marketing horizons. After the teleconference, visit our website for an audio recording of the call, which can be downloaded for free from the WOMMA Member Center.
  > This Wednesday, Feb. 28, at noon EST –>
  How Microsoft Turned Windows Vista into a Marketing Success
  Learn how the Windows Vista team sold consumers and upper management alike on buzz, viral, and blog marketing techniques in order to turn a slew of marketing challenges into triumphs. Featuring Brian Marr, Group Marketing Manager, Windows Vista, Microsoft.
  Cost is $20 for WOMMA members, $60 for non-members.
  Sign up

  

  

   

• Find a New Employee or Employer on the WOMMA Job Board
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 12:23 pm on February 26, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  The word of mouth marketing industry is growing fast. And so is the demand for experienced word of mouth marketers! Whether you’re looking for new additions to your talented team or searching for the perfect new job in which to show off your word of mouth skills, WOMMA’s Job Board can help you find what you need.
  The WOMMA Job Board is the only job board that exists specifically for word of mouth marketing positions.
  Members: Your company gets one free job posting every month; use it!
  Jobs have been posted recently for word of mouth positions at: Nielsen BuzzMetrics, Oddcast, Fizz, Tribune Company, and more!
  Find a new employee or a new job

  

  

   

• Virtual Coffee Break Reminder: Connect, Share, Learn
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 12:14 pm on February 26, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  It’s no secret that WOMMA members like to talk. After all, talking is what word of mouth is all about. To satisfy your craving for conversation — and caffeine — we’re giving our members a chance to connect and share ideas this week with two Virtual Member Coffee Breaks. These casual, members-only online chats are an opportunity to speak in real time with like-minded marketers about topics and strategies important to your business.
  Grab a cup of coffee, log into the WOMMA Member Center, and join your fellow word of mouth marketers for a chat this Tuesday or Wednesday. This week’s topics are “Communities” and “Brand Marketers.”
  This week:
  –> Communities Coffee Break; Tuesday, Feb. 27, 11 a.m. CST
  –> Brand Marketers Coffee Break; Wednesday, Feb. 28, 11 a.m. CST
  To learn more about these events and RSVP, email Tarah Remington at tarah@womma.org.

  

  

   

• Hosted: Members-Only Call on Appropriate WOM Techniques
  
  

  WOMMA Editor 12:12 pm on February 26, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink
  

  On Friday, Feb. 23, more than 30 WOMMA members met by telephone to discuss questions posed by Turner and Interference Inc.’s recent marketing misstep in Boston, which raised several important issues for the word of mouth marketing industry.
  In an hour-long teleconference, members asked the following questions:
  * Do guerilla marketing campaigns qualify as word of mouth?
  * How, when and where should disclosure take place?
  * How can marketers accomplish effective disclosure and minimize intrusion, while ensuring that consumers understand the marketer’s objective?
  * What forms of disclosure protect the creative process and campaigns’ entertainment outcome?
  Find out what your peers had to say on this important topic by logging into the WOMMA Member Center, where you can find a discussion draft of relevant questions as well as a free download of audio from Friday’s call. Just log in from the WOMMA homepage, select ‘View All Groups’ from the menu list at left, and choose “The Member Blog” from the resulting list of discussion groups; comments on this issue are being posted under the thread, “Issue Brief: Turner and Word of Mouth” and will be accepted until March 23, 2007.
  Log into the Member Center