If the mountain won’t come…
So the dreaded deadlines are over, the exam is complete, and I’m feeling strangely free (and no I’m not thinking about my rather enormous dissertation to be done – minor detail at this point).
It’s nice to have some free time on my hands, and some lounging around at home time, it has also been different to spend some time on my computer which doesn’t involve frantic checking of word counts every 2 minutes or commiserating on facebook with classmates about work!
So, I thought this week I would peruse the magnificent web for some undiscovered fun, but I found it strangely boring! Being on my computer just seems to give me sore shoulders (and ‘mouse-arm’) these days! And sad to say my internet routine remains fairly predictable, my homepage is BBC news so I run through the headlines there, then I head over to facebook (of course), then I check my email, and Spotify will be already up and running by this time.
I suppose I’m one of those hard to reach audiences, I really don’t seek out new stuff online, I’d rather 
wait for someone to send me a link or suggest something to me, I’m what ‘word of mouth’ was invented for! But I’m not the only one out there, so savvy PR practitioners and marketers have to come up with some pretty interesting and attention grabbing stunts to create some buzz. I and my other lazy web users won’t come looking for you; you have to come to us.
I’m sure we’ve all seen Blendtec’s ‘will it blend’, which is ridiculous yet vaguely compelling; it’s proved a pretty successful marketing campaign despite its silliness. Some organisations do these kinds of PR stunts really well; I found one that really tickled me. Science and technology website Scenta had commuters in uproar over a new Cloning Scenta which was really just an advertisement for the website but had some gullible people thinking that a human cloning centre was due to open.
These are the new rules of engagement for PROs and marketers, it’s their job to make apathetic people like me sit up and take notice of their organisation in a cluttered business and consumer environment.
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May 12th, 2009 at 2:24 am
Word of mouth is a really fascinating marketing tool. It can drive a company or its brand to fame and fortune when an idea takes off on the Internet. For free! And as you’ve already mentioned it also grabs the attention of hard to reach audiences. As you use Facebook you are already part of a network of people who can ‘light the fire’.
Isn’t it tempting to fake the buzz in light of these advantages? There are examples of some companies who tried this e.g. in letting people whom they employ boosting their viral marketing campaign in writing about the product. I believe such an attempt is likely to fail – the web users will find it out sooner or later. And in the worst case this may even harm the company’s reputation. That is why it is important that a viral marketing campaign is not a fake to benefit from the advantages of word of mouth.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:53 am
I agree with you in the point that organisations must concentrate their activities in order to engage with their target audience and the web delivers so many great opportunities and tools to do so. The successful implementation of social media provides so many ways to connect and engage with their customers. And the great thing about it is that the customers themselves choose to follow you on Facebook, Bebo, Myspace, Twitter, etc.
Hence, you just need to create something interesting and good content, target the right “influencers” to spread and finally, the message will reach you and you can then decide whether you become a fan of it, whether you follow the brand or whether you pass the message on.
May 20th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Network-theory scientist Duncan Watts asserts specifically that if marketers/ PRs just reach a few influential taste-makers then word of mouth should flourish. I definitely agree with this. I believe a practical approach is essential: there are people who talk more than others. Whenever you can, cost effectively, identify these folks and work with them — go for it! Buzz is not only about telling, but more and more about showing. Hence the popularity of sites like Facebook, My space and Youtube.
In the big picture, I think psychology is more helpful in understanding buzz and word of mouth. The first step is always to understand what motivates people to do certain things. Marketing techniques come and go, but if you understand why people talk about products, you can find new ways to motivate them to talk about your brand.