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Latest Updates: Brands and WOM RSS

  • Still Experimenting?

    Pat McCarthy 10:01 am on March 16, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM, ,

    beakers

    According to a recent survey from E-Consultancy in association with the Online Marketing Summit, many businesses are still only experimenting with social media. If you are still in that phase, examining those who have seen success is a good way to plan your direction. WOMMA member Intuit, makers of financial software like TurboTax, QuickBooks and Quicken, have fully embraced Twitter and Facebook. About 50% of their customers use these two social platforms. The savvy marketer might respond, “Use and brand engagement are two different things.” This is clearly true and Intuit knows it. That is why they have a team of tax, tech and product experts responding to questions posed to @TeamTurboTax. Once consumers see that a brand is serious about using social media as a customer service tool, they will engage. Otherwise they will keep relying on that 1-800 customer service number.

    Read more about how Intuit uses social at Web Pro News

     

  • Brands get Face to Face

    Pat McCarthy 11:23 am on March 9, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM, ,

    video-chat

    Focus groups have been a stalwart research tool for brands. This is exactly why they should invest some serious thought into the wonders of video chat platforms. They aren’t just for overseas communication with your study abroad child. A brand can nab time from demographics that are usually too busy to drive to a focus group. Imagine getting five CMOs on the line at one time. That was nearly impossible before video chat, but now it is and it doesn’t even cost much. Or for home products, you can talk to the focus group in their own domicile. They can show you how they use their products first hand in the setting where the product is actually used.

    Read more about the brand applications of video chat at AdAge

     

  • The Shift From TV to Twitter

    Pat McCarthy 10:27 am on March 5, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM, ,

    unilever

    In an effort to keep up with the modern consumer, WOMMA member Unilever is turning its focus from traditional advertising methods to social media. At the American Association of Advertising Agencies’ Transformation Conference in San Francisco this week, Unilver’s VP Personal Care Kathy O’Brien discussed the importance of social media marketing and the need for Unilever’s brands to think beyond the standard 30-second TV spot. Citing Dove’s brand success as an example, O’Brien said that social media is a way to initiate communication between consumers and gain brand advocates. O’Brien asserted that “social media is going to become the fabric that goes through all our communication efforts.”

    Read more about Unilever and social media at Brandweek.

     

  • Toyota Going Social

    Pat McCarthy 10:46 am on March 4, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM

    In a time when public opinion of Toyota might waver, social media fans seem to have the automaker’s back. Since late January (Toyota announced its recall Jan. 21), the company’s Facebook fan base has grown more than 10%. While this is partly a result of the brand’s resilience, it is more so due to Toyota’s quick adoption of social media tactics during its time of crisis. Prior to the recall, Toyota did not have a large social media presence. In addition to gaining more Facebook traffic and greatly increasing its use of Twitter, Toyota has smartly created its own social-media response team that continually monitors and responds to online conversation about the brand.

    Read more about Toyota and social media at AdAge

     

  • Lessons in SM Policy: Carnival Cruise Lines

    Pat McCarthy 10:31 am on February 26, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM,

    cruise-ship

    Carnival Cruise Lines first developed their social media policy last year. It restricted travel agents from using their trademarks in any tweets, status updates and blog posts. The agents protested and on Dec. 15, Carnival withdrew their policy for further review. I think this shows a great ability to learn about the changing landscape of marketing communications. Obviously they didn’t want agents pretending to actually work for Carnival, but they didn’t want to restrict the agents from selling cruises. That led to their new policy. In brief, they allow agents to talk about deals, cruises and everything else. The only caveat is that they do not use any Carnival trademarks in any usernames, account names, profile names, or screen names. Bravo! This gives agents the freedom to promote while maintaining the brand name. Clear and simple, the way it should be.

    Read more about Carnival’s new SM policy at Tnooz

     

  • Your Brand Image, Your Control

    Pat McCarthy 11:21 am on February 25, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM,

    One of the biggest roadblocks to a solid online program is the fear of losing your brand image. Seriously, don’t sell yourself short. It’s fair to say that your marketing department and employees are more tuned in to your brand than the general population. Crafting your image online requires a different process than traditional methods such as commercials and billboards. Can someone tweet the message you are trying to convey? Are you producing content that both inspires people to engage and promotes your image? These are new methods for new situations. In the end, you’ll find the cost of a solid online image program will likely pale in comparison to the traditional methods.

    Read the full article about online brand image at The Wall Street Journal

     

  • Like-ing the Retweet

    Pat McCarthy 10:30 am on February 24, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM

    If you are a brand, by now you are probably tweeting and gaining Facebook fans. Brands’ increased use of social media makes us wonder what the real purpose of using social media is. Do brands engage in social media just to drive WOM or for other reasons? John Bell argues that while WOM is not completely synonymous with social media’s effect, it is really the only reason we use it. When a consumer “likes” a brand’s wall post or “retweets” a brand’s tweet, the brand is implicitly recommended to others, generating valuable and useful WOM.
    Read more about Social Media-Driven Word of Mouth at The Digital Influence Mapping Project

     

  • The Student, Now the Teachers

    Pat McCarthy 10:28 am on February 24, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM,

    If it seems like almost everyone is joining Facebook, you’re right. With its 400 million global users, Facebook is becoming a force that even companies can’t ignore. In the past year, branded Facebook pages have become commonplace and brands continue to find more ways to creatively utilize Facebook’s marketing potential. Even previous Facebook skeptic Procter & Gamble is now requiring all of its brands to make use of the marketing tool. The jury is still out, though, on whether Facebook pages will prove to be bigger forces that the brands’ own websites.
    Read more about Facebook and brands at AdAge

     

  • Toyota Twitter Disaster

    Pat McCarthy 10:52 am on February 23, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM,

    Automakers know that recalls are all part of the job, but Toyota’s recent troubles are some for the record books. The true extent of the PR nightmare can be felt in the astounding speed that Twitter users jumped on their accounts to voice their opinions. After the news broke, there were thousands of negative comments streaming in every hour. Toyota has built its brand on quality and when something like faulty breaks is revealed, they have to brace for a wave of negative WOM. This is because WOM is generated by breaking from the norm. Any car company should put their customers’ safety on top of their priority list, but if your brand is your quality, this is especially important.
    Read more about how the recall played out in social media at The Big Money

     

  • Your Personality on a Shelf

    Pat McCarthy 10:47 am on February 19, 2010 | 0 Comments Permalink | Post Your Comment!
    Tags: Brands and WOM,

    laughing-crying-masks

    If you are a brand, chances are you have quite a bit of competition. It’s just the nature of the game. When you’re investing in a word of mouth campaign, you need to have something that makes you stand out from the crowd. Otherwise there is no reason for anyone to talk about you. Show your personality, quirks and all. Consumers don’t feel emotional connections with corporate speak. They connect with brands that they can relate to. Think of the brands with the most personality: Google, Apple, Ford, Microsoft, etc. They all have different personalities, each playing into their products and services.
    Read more about brands and personalities at Fox Small Business Center

     

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