By Rod Brooks, WOMMA President & PEMCO Insurance CMO
Originally published on Seeing the Edge
Prevailing Winds Increase Pace and Mark Change
The Alaska Airlines pilot said we were traveling at 34,000 feet above sea level at a speed of approximately 500 miles per hour. And, he says, we will arrive at our destination ahead of schedule due to the outstanding tailwind at our back. He was, of course, talking about flight 22 from Seattle to Chicago. He could just as easily been describing WOMMA and the year that I’ve experienced as Board President. In both cases, we are in a remarkable place that is soaring to new heights and moving over the landscape at greater speeds. For my fellow passengers in the plane and I, there is little time to look back to appreciate all the ground we’ve covered. Nor is there time to focus on the places that we may have missed as they fade from view. The same is true for WOMMA.
It seems nearly impossible that almost twelve months ago I addressed attendees of the 2010 WOMMA Talkable Brands Summit and shared my vision for the coming year. I encouraged everyone present to focus on what they could learn, what they could teach, and what they could do in order to make themselves, their brands, and their clients more effective as word of mouth marketers - both online and offline.
We remain a young association that is gaining in confidence and spirit. More importantly, our measures of success are going the right direction. I am incredibly proud of Executive Director, Kristen Smith and her enthusiastic, “can do” staff. Kristen, has successfully led the transition from an association with grand aspirations to one of noteworthy accomplishments and results.
As we approach the 2011 WOMMA Summit that will be held in Las Vegas, from November 16-18, Kristen will be completing her third full year at the helm. She has served under the guidance of three Board Presidents, 30 different board members, 10 committee chairs, and has interacted with members and potential members in numbers too numerous to count. And through it all, Kristen’s focus, determination, and consistency have not wavered. Key accomplishments over the past three years include the following:
Membership has grown to 350 member companies and is at a healthy balance between brands (33%), agencies (37%), and consultants, researchers and technology providers (30%).
WOMMA has developed successful partnerships with key industry groups including the Marketing Research Association, Media Ratings Council, Advertising Research Foundation and the Association of National Advertisers, positioning WOMMA as a key leader and stakeholder in the effective measurement of word of mouth marketing.
WOMMA has expanded its research offerings and special reports available to members to include: A Guidebook of Best Practices for the Customer Care Center; Online and Offline WOM Bibliography Curation; Listening and Monitoring Platforms Guidebook; and the Return On Investment Guidebook. We look to continue the outstanding work of our Research and Measurement volunteers and member experts in 2012 as well.
We have increased the number of WOMMA events and points of engagement resulting in new and expanded opportunities to reach current and potential members.
· WOMMA Summit - 2011 attendance expected to exceed 500
· School of WOM - Over 300 attendees
· Wine Wednesday’s Networking Events - 7 locations - More than 450 attendees
· Regional Talkable Brand Exchanges - 3 locations - Over 200 attendee
· WOM COMM Graduates - Over 500
· WOMMA Webinar Attendees - Over 500
Read the full post at Seeing the Edge
