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Updates from July, 2007

  • Dial In: Members-Only Call to Discuss the Influencer Model

    WOMMA Editor 2:08 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    As you know, many organizations depend on the influencer model as one of many word of mouth tactics and strategies shaping their marketing efforts. In response to recent discussions within the industry about the influencer model specifically, WOMMA is providing a variety of platforms for our members to weigh in.
    –> On Tuesday, August 7, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. EST, WOMMA will host a conference call to open a dialogue about the influencer model among our members, as well as to discuss WOMMA’s role in fostering open discussion about issues that affect the industry.
    This is your chance to dial in, listen to what your industry peers have to say, and voice your own opinions.
    >> To take part in the call, please email us at membership@womma.org and put “INFLUENCER CONFERENCE CALL” in the subject line.

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  • Member Benefits: Promotional Ops and WOM BtoB Case Study

    WOMMA Editor 2:04 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    WOMMA members receive a variety of valuable benefits — here are two you may have forgotten to take advantage of:

    Tell us about something cool you’ve done
    —————————————–

    Maybe you don’t want to sing your own praises. Don’t sweat it. We’re happy to do the bragging for you. Just tell us about the cool things you’re doing with word of mouth, and we’ll spread the word. Email us at editor@womma.org, and we can arrange for a time for you to tell us your story.

    Submit your WOM BtoB case study
    ———————————

    You’ve been meaning to submit a WOM BtoB case study, but you’re busy, it’s summer time, and you don’t want to spend another minute at your desk. We understand. Send an email to editor@womma.org with “WOM BTOB” in the subject line, and we’ll arrange an interview with you. We’ll do the writing — and you can get back to your summer.

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  • WOM Marketing for a Cause: A WOMMA Member Focus on Party2Win

    WOMMA Editor 2:03 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    WOMMA members understand the value of word of mouth marketing, and our member companies understand that when you couple a great marketing technique with a great cause, you get people talking.

    Party for a Cause
    —————————

    “It’s not about selling products; it’s about selling ideas,” says David Salie, describing how WOMMA member company Party2Win takes parties to the next level, using them to raise awareness about a multitude of cause-driven organizations, including the Humane Society, the Global Fund for Women, and MomsRising, just to name a few.
    Salie noted that during a recent campaign for the Humane Society, which was aimed at stopping the slaughter of domestic horses for export, party hosts prompted their attendees not only to donate to the cause, but to call their state senators on the following Monday. The result: So many advocates dialed their senators that it made the news, and the provision to make horse slaughter illegal passed with a dramatic margin.
    Nonprofits looking to ignite the passions of their most enthusiastic fans can tap Party2Win to create a web-based system for fans to volunteer to host parties to raise awareness and even funds for their cause. The idea is to create major, nationwide events comprised of dozens or even hundreds of 10- to 20-person house parties happening simultaneously. Also, there is always some element — generally either a webcast or a conference call — which is used to tie all of the individual parties together into one, greater event.
    Because fans of the nonprofits are presumably invested in seeing the cause’s initiatives succeed, and because they’re reaching out to their personal social networks to invite party attendees, the parties have the propensity to generate incredible interest and word of mouth.
    ***********************************************************
    To see more examples of cause marketing using WOM, visit the “Create a Cause” section of WOMMA’s Case Study Library.
    We’d love to feature your work in an upcoming issue of WOMMA Action Items. If your company is a WOMMA member and is using WOM to spread the word about a cause, we want to hear about it. Email editor@womma.org with “CAUSE WOM” in the subject line and let us tell your story.

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  • WOM: Learn It, Do It Series Coming to Seattle & New York

    WOMMA Editor 2:01 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    Arrive with a question in mind or a big challenge you are trying to solve, and our experts will tackle it together — potentially providing you a strategy for reaching your goal.
    Join us and learn how to make word of mouth marketing work for you at these half-day sessions that have you back in the office implementing what you’ve learned the very same day. It’s a great way to meet like-minded word of mouth marketers in your area at a bargain price that makes it perfect for junior staff, as well as experienced WOM aficionados.
    WOM on the West Coast
    August 15 | Seattle, WA

    Join WOMMA and member-company sponsors Cole & Weber United and Visible Technologies along with sponsor Zaaz as we cover all the basics of word of mouth in our educational, half-day session.

    WOM in the City II
    September 20 | New York, NY

    Join WOMMA and member-company sponsor GolinHarris as the WOM education road crew makes a return trip to NYC. Don’t miss it!

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  • Announced: Event Savings for WOMMA Members

    WOMMA Editor 2:00 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    In 2006, WOMMA offered savings to each of our members totaling more than $6,000 on event registrations, including $2,050 on five WOMMA meetings and more than $4,000 on 35 other industry events.
    At WOMMA, we like to save our members money. We’re always on the prowl for good deals and deep discounts; it’s just one of the many benefits of being a WOMMA member.
    Log into the Member Center now to get your discount code and take advantage of the latest WOMMA event deal:
    –> CAB Exchange: A Summit on Customer Advisory Boards
    Oct. 2-3 | San Jose, CA
    WOMMA members save 10%

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  • New to the Member Center: Whitepaper from OneUpWeb

    WOMMA Editor 1:57 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    WOMMA member company OneUpWeb’s whitepaper, titled “Cashing in on Universal Search: Questions Needing to be Asked, Answers You Need to Know,” is now available for WOMMA members in the Member Center. The whitepaper covers information about Google’s May switch from vertical to universal search, what it means to marketers, and tips for what to do to acclimate.
    The whitepaper has tons of information, such as:

    Under Google’s new algorithms, blogs often appear higher in the results pages. The popularity of the sites, their specific topical focus, the wide use of social tagging, and the common practice of interlinking with other blogs, all contribute to their improved search positions, as does sheer volume, with Technorati tracking nearly 80 million blogs in May of 2007. And the numbers keep rising.

    To learn more, log into WOMMA’s Member Center and download the full whitepaper.
    >> WOMMA members: Let us promote you! Do you have something you’d like to share with your industry peers? Let us know by emailing us at membership@womma.org, and we’ll help you spread the word.

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  • Meet a New WOMMA Member: The New Media Firm

    WOMMA Editor 1:54 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    Welcome to WOMMA’s newest member:
    The New Media Firm
    ——————————
    “Word of mouth is to new media what vermouth is to gin,” said William Robinson, recounting how a long road has led him from traditional advertising and media back to his word of mouth marketing roots. These roots harken back to his days as a political organizer. Early in his career, Robinson understood that little league coaches were some of the best sources for spreading the word, and The New Media Firm’s transition to an organization that blends traditional media, new media, and word of mouth synchs with that grassroots sensibility.
    >> William Robinson and Tierney Hunt are partners at The New Media Firm.
    We thank everyone for their support!

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  • Spreading the Word

    WOMMA Editor 1:50 pm on July 31, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    News by, about, and for WOMMA members:
    * Congratulations to WOMMA member company Hill & Knowlton, whose “The Future of Retirement: What the World Wants” campaign for HSBC Insurance won Best Corporate Communications Campaign at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
    * On June 26, WOMMA member company Northlich hosted a panel to discuss how blogs, online discussion forums, and social networking sites are influencing how information and opinion is created and shared. Listen to a recording of the panel discussion.
    * Congratulations to Leonard Bernstein of WOMMA member company Reed Smith, who was recently elected as president of the Support Center for Child Advocates board of directors.
    * Nicco Mele of WOMMA member company EchoDitto was recently interviewed on MotherJones.com. In the interview, Mele, the former webmaster for Howard Dean, discusses how the online political landscape has evolved since 2004 — and how it’s stayed the same. Read the article.
    * WOMMA member company BzzAgent recently launched a new WOM platform — dubbed “Frogpond” — where consumers can try out online properties and “bzz” their friends about them using a variety of social features. Both MediaPost and AdRANTS covered the Frogpond launch last week.
    * On July 18, Guy Powell of WOMMA member company DemandROMI spoke about social networking strategy at the summer meeting of the Pittsburgh Advertising Federation.
    Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we’ll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.

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  • Dial In: Members-Only Call to Discuss the Influencer Model

    WOMMA Editor 11:20 am on July 26, 2007 | Comments Off Comments Permalink

    Many organizations depend on the influencer model as one of many word of mouth tactics and strategies shaping their marketing efforts. In response to recent discussions within the industry about the influencer model specifically, WOMMA is providing a variety of platforms for our members to weigh in, including:
    * A session dedicated to discussion of the influencer model on our Word of Mouth Marketing Summit agenda.
    * A special section in our upcoming research collection, “Measuring Word of Mouth, Vol. 3,” focused on the influencer model.

    –> On Tuesday, August 7, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. EST, WOMMA will host a conference call to open a dialogue about the influencer model among our members, as well as to discuss WOMMA’s role in fostering open discussion about issues that affect the industry.

    This is your chance to dial in, listen to what your industry peers have to say, and voice your own opinions.
    >> To take part in the call, please contact us at membership@womma.org.

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  • Walmart.com Launches Customer Ratings and Reviews

    WOMMA Editor 9:04 am on July 26, 2007 | 2 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!

    Last week, Wal-Mart announced the launch of customer ratings and reviews on walmart.com. The reviews will be available for all products offered on the company’s website and will provide consumers a forum for sharing their opinions about a wide variety of consumer packaged goods — from batteries and dental floss to lip balm and shampoo. Not only will consumers be able to use the peer reviews to make purchase decisions, Wal-Mart and product manufacturers will also be able to use them to gain valuable information about their customers.
    “Ratings and reviews are the No. 1 customer-requested feature online at walmart.com,” said Cathy Halligan, Wal-Mart’s CMO. And now that the functionality is up and running, it’s up to Wal-Mart’s 130 million customers — 75% of whom are online — to speak up and be heard. According to Jupiter Research, 48% of consumers researching or buying products online describe reviews as “very useful” or “useful,” and 52% of consumers have either written a review or have contributed feedback.
    Walmart.com began testing its ratings and reviews functionality back in June, and by the time they launched publicly last week, nearly 15% of the company’s products featured reviews. Internet users can submit their own reviews by viewing a product page, and walmart.com shoppers will now receive emails inviting them to review products they’ve ordered and received.
    Learn more: (CNN Money)
    Learn more: (WebProNews)
    Learn more: (Progressive Grocer)

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