When I had the pleasure of working with Andy Sernovitz for a couple of years, one of the things I remember most often hearing from him was along the lines of, word of mouth is the oldest form of marketing - this, to me, makes total sense.  

Here's why: in the WOM industry, many of us have heard the stat that 92% of people say that their purchasing decisions have been influenced by the recommendation of a friend or family member.  Even before the advent of TV, the internet and social media, people talked to each other...a lot.  And *gasp* in person.  Whether it was about the weather, their families or how to prepare dinner, recommendations were involved.  I'd take a guess that brand conversation has steadily increased since then, but recommendations have always existed.  So, how does Sally Hansen fit into this discussion of word of mouth?

Sally Hansen is a cosmetics company that is especially known for its nail polishes, nail tools and the like.  I'm not sure if she's fictional or not - perhaps she's friends with Victoria of Victoria's Secret.  I recently discovered a revolutionary nail polish that applied in one coat.  Other women will agree with me that this is a rare find.  I was so enthused about my pedicure that I turned around in my cube the next day and randomly told my colleague about the polish and my experience with it.  I thought a teensy part of her pedicure experience could be improved by my discovery, so I shared.

And it dawned on us - we were actively sharing brand recommendations through word of mouth.  We were bringing to life a component of today's strategic marketing plans, one that gets so much air time that we often forget what the term actually means.  While there are a lot of fancy (and useful) tools to implement, the most important aspect of creating successful word of mouth marketing programs is to have a good story to tell and products that people want to talk about. 

My advice: Don't get so lost in the tactics that you forget the most integral part of word of mouth - people.



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Every once in awhile, there's an article that proclaims the death of social media, usually prompted by a study proving that social media is sometimes used in frivolous ways. As a result, conversation is driven around either a specific social media tool, or the idea of social media in general. It becomes a great debate as to whether companies should engage in social media - as well as HOW they should engage.

The how is relatively easy - a strong social media strategy helps drive word of mouth, and as a result, recommendations. Strong social media strategies include:

• Identifying who is talking about a brand
• What themes are being discussed about the brand
• What social media channels are being used

In short, everything that is covered by the Zócalo Group Digital Footprint.

Strong social media strategies are dependent on conversations, not channels. Such channels are used in ways that foster conversation, that engage customers, and with an increasing number of people engaging in social media (most notably women), social media still has a healthy life ahead of it.

As far as the should, maybe this video will help clarify the ways in which a strong social media strategy can help drive word of mouth about your brand: 

                             

 

(Special thanks to Ryan Choyeski for sharing this video)

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Monday, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced new rules regarding the distribution of photos, videos and updates at or about college football games by fans and attendees through social media.

Basically, you can't share them - anything related to the game. According to the policy, ticketed fans can't "produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information." (For the full policy, see here.)

The main motive behind this is to protect the value of their $3 billion deal with ESPN and CBS.

As the St. Petersburg Times said, "If exclusivity is the aim, and it is, because it's that exclusivity that commands the billions of dollars from TV networks, then the fans aren't just fans anymore. They're looking more and more like so many cell phone-equipped individual information feeds."

Regardless of what we as technology-using fans are defined as, we should be able to maintain the "right" to sharing and communicating as we want. We also should be able to find and hear about our news in whatever forms we want to - we shouldn't be restricted to broadcast, the corporate Twitter feed, etc. I may prefer the way a specific Twitter user discusses the game, with unique details and humorous tone. The SEC is not only restricting him from posting, but me from reading and getting updates on the game how I enjoy them.

Mashable said it well with "For the moment, these policies seem a lot more grounded in fear than reality. Sure, these days someone could theoretically live stream a game from their camera phone. But a shaky, low resolution video from the upper deck of Yankee Stadium isn't exactly the same as watching FOX's telecast on your big screen TV. Social media should be viewed a fantastic compliment to sports that is good for both fans and the TV networks, but at the moment, it seems that's anything but how it's being perceived."

While some reports are saying the SEC doesn't "get" social media, I believe it is more appropriate to say they are fearful  - fearful of social media taking a stab out of their big media budgets.

Other conferences have evaluated their social media policy and have gone the other direction. The Big 10 encourages fans to submit photos and videos that other bloggers can access and share. The Atlantic Coast Conference is utilizing student bloggers and their use of social media to promote this year's 2009 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game in an effort to increase attendance. As a Florida State alum (Go Seminoles!), I'm proud of the conference for not only encouraging it, but realizing the potential of social media marketing in generating SALES for the organization. So, instead of relying on the monies from traditional media partnerships, they're counting on the ROI from word of mouth using social media. They're relying on sustainable, ongoing conversations occurring among their fans online to drive offline attendance. Wow!

Here are a few additional benefits of social media use by fans at games:

• Increase awareness - Social media allows others to happen upon conversations and become aware of ongoing games, which may lead them to turn on the television to watch, or purchase tickets for the next game.
  
• Extend fan participation - Those watching the game at home can interact online via fans at the game, increasing conversation volume.
• Additional content - The SEC can retweet, post links to and share fan content, creating broader coverage and more engagement with their own fans.
  
• Brand sponsorship engagement - Brands want to connect with fans when it is relevant, and sports events are a great opportunity to do that. For those hoping to engage fans through online channels, the new SEC policy will severely limit what the brand can do, and negatively impact their perception of the conference, making them think twice about future sponsorships.
  

The SEC issued a statement via Twitter late Monday afternoon to their 9,340 fans saying "To our Twitter fans, we have heard you. We're working on clarifications to our policy and should have something done soon."

The revised plan is still to be revealed, but according to the Charlotte Observer, the new guidelines may try to find a compromise and allow fans to tweet from the stands after all. 

What are your thoughts on the policy? How would this impact your participation at SEC college football games?



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Most people appreciate that little vote of confidence prior to a purchase - no matter how big or small.

Do I want those pants in red or white?
Should I get a 26" or 42" TV?
A full-size sofa or loveseat with a pull-out?
Gold or silver earrings? Or both?

Easy to get a pal's opinion when you're browsing together, but what about when you're shopping online - at home or at work - with NO ONE to help!?!

With online engagement growing faster than ever, "social shopping" is beginning to change the game for online shoppers...and retailers. Tools like ShopTogether® -- where shoppers can ask questions, share comments, and more -- boast stats like:

•  25 percent more items placed in cart
•  50 percent higher average order value
•  400 percent more time spent on site

For online retailers, this can be huge. Charlotte Russe and PetCo Animal Supplies are reaping the benefits of integrating social media of all mediums into their shopping experiences - from fashion shows on YouTube to new product debuts on Facebook fan pages. (Read more here.)

For all the fitness fashionistas, I highly recommend Lululemon's Facebook fan page. A great way to converse about favorite new products, workout tips, store offerings and more.

As more and more people turn to their favorite online channels for recommendations on purchasing decisions, marketers have a unique opportunity to join consumers in conversations and become the professional 'pal,' providing opinions and insights into even the smallest shopping woes.

The bottom line for me and my friends? We can shop for all our seasonal must-haves and play "the great purchase debate," minus the chaos of Chicago's Michigan Avenue.
 


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If you pay much attention to the marketing industry's trends, you no doubt have observed the rapid emergence of social media as a marketing communications channel.  If you're a marketer, you know social media and driving intentional, positive online conversation about your brand is important, and needs to be part of your marketing mix.  But, like any emerging discipline, it can be hard to know how best to "use" social media and, importantly, assess whether your efforts are wildly successful, a complete waste of time, effort and money, or somewhere in the middle.

Don't worry, the problem isn't you.  It's the metric, or rather, up until now, the lack thereof.  While we're learning each day about the growing popularity, pervasiveness and influence of social media, we're also working to figure out the best performance metrics to measure its impact.  And we're getting better every day.

Established, accepted metrics are critical in any industry because they both declare a benchmark for relative performance and focus resources around what's important.  In essence, they put a value on what's valuable.  You are what you measure.  Mutual Fund managers have the Annualized Rate of Return, CEO's have EBITA and enterprise value, Network Television Executives have audience ratings, and so on.  Heck, even NFL head coaches have performance metrics; net points scored per game, and games won over a season (Are you listening, Lovie Smith?).  The important thing is that once performance metrics are established and accepted for a discipline, all energy then gets focused on gaming the metric.  And that's a good thing.

The recent announcement of Zócalo Group's Digital Footprint Index is a giant step (pun not intended) in the right direction.  On an overall basis, the DFI quantifies, at a given point in time, the overall volume of a brand's earned online presence.  The DFI's key components, Height (amount of brand conversation), Width (how widely those conversations are shared) and Depth (the tone and sentiment of the brand's conversation) serve to put an important stake in the ground for industry.  But does the DFI put a value on what's valuable?  You be the judge.  For any brand (and its competitors), wouldn't you want to know:

•    How much that brand is being talked about in earned conversation?
•    If those brand conversations are being passed along?
•    If those brand conversations are positive or negative, on message or off?

So with the Digital Footprint Index established, the imperative becomes clear.  We need to game the metrics.  We need to create more earned conversation for the brand, work to have those conversations more widely shared, and ensure those conversations are increasingly positive and intentional.  Those are pretty good metrics to game.

We know the debate about what social media metrics are most appropriate is long from over and rightly so; with new channels for digital conversation being brought forth all the time, a metric is only as good as its ability to quantify all that's relevant and valuable.  But the Digital Footprint Index is a quantum leap (pun intended) from what has been previously available and, we hope, spurs even more discussion around this subject.
 
To paraphrase Albert Einstein, "Sometimes what counts can't be counted." For those of us who endeavor to use social media to drive brand conversation and recommendations, we're getting closer to the day when we'll have agreement on both what and how to count.  And when that day arrives, there will likely be no formal celebration or even recognition of that agreement, because we'll all be too busy that day, working to game those metrics.



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The Twitter outage from last Thursday evoked some very strong reactions among members of the social media community. Voices both on and offline all shared similar expressions.

"I actually found it harder to get my work done."
"I picked up a book, read the first 140 characters and then lost interest."
"I had to get on MySpace...how boring"
"I felt incomplete!"

Even traditional media from the AP to CNN to the San Francisco Chronicle took notice and spent the day reporting on the issue, updating readers as the situation progressed.

The few hours that Twitter went down was attributed to a Denial of Service attack (DoS attack) or Distributed Denial-of-Service attack (DDoS attack), which according to Wikipedia, is defined as:

An attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. Although  the means to carry out, motives for and targets of a DoS attack may vary, it generally consists of the concerted efforts of a person or persons to prevent an Internet site or service from functioning efficiently or at all, temporarily or indefinitely.

While Twitter fanatics waited, Facebook, Livefeed and other social media sites were overloaded and slowed by an influx of active users going somewhere else to converse (and complain about Twitter being offline).  TechCrunch's humorous approach to the issue described the frenzy by offering 15 alternative things to do while Twitter was down. 

Once back online, denial of service conversations were through the roof on Twitter. Hashtags continue the conversation through today, such as #whentwitterwasdown.

The uproar that Twitter's hiatus caused was a lesson in how dependent we've become on using online tools to share content and interact with others. Although the situation lasted only hours, it spurred some important lessons for brands as they engage in social media marketing.

Twitter blackout key learning's:

• Twitter users feel dependent on it - it's their go-to source to share and receive information. While Twitter users are active on other social networks, it appears that Twitter is the main destination for many of them.
  
  
• Micro-blogging isn't a come-and-go fad or trend. The reactions to the DoS attacks demonstrates just how much we all love to share what we're doing and thinking in only a few brief words. If you haven't developed a presence on Twitter already, now is the time.
  
  
• Evaluate your current presence. Did Twitter going down disrupt your day? If not, it probably should have. What can you improve on in your Twitter presence? Respond to more followers? Add links to share photos and videos? Think about the purpose of why you're there, and make sure you're achieving it.
  
  
• Develop a back-up plan. If one social media tool goes down, do you have a presence elsewhere online where people feel they can contact you? Brands can't rely on one tool to deliver their message or product. If Twitter is how you deliver customer service (which is great!), then have a similar real-time solution in place to implement in case the site goes down. For instance, Businessweek reported that Stocktwits was at a standstill, and is identifying new ways to prevent this, such as a downloadable widget.
  
  
• Identify what/where else you are and could be. Clearly, Twitter is a strong tool, albeit some issues. What else is out there that you aren't investing enough in, or aren't involved in completely? Is Facebook your main resource for hosting images and videos from events? If so, what is your back-up plan there? How can you expand your presence on any of these channels? A shake-up like this is a good time to renew interest in determining which are the right tools that will allow your brand's message to stay ahead of the curve and create sustainable conversations.
  
  

In conclusion, share with us your own reaction to when Twitter went down. How will this impact your social media strategy moving forward?

Co-authored by Leah Bassett


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And now for something completely different - a post about how a long-running British comedy troupe used online video in an obvious attempt at viral marketing, building word of mouth and driving recommendations - and purchases - of product.

Although they have had an online presence for years via Pythonline, the members of Monty Python (like many other "cult" television shows and movies)  have seen their content uploaded to YouTube. Fans could watch their favorite sketches; however, the members of Python would not receive a cent in royalties. In 1998, that all changed when Monty Python teamed up with YouTube to create  its own online video channel, containing clips from its television show and movies as well as previously unreleased content exclusive to the channel. 

Rather than fight for copyright, Monty Python leveraged YouTube as a way of "sampling" their works, and then, encouraging users to buy them in an "it's-only-fair" model. Hidden within a video-based viral marketing strategy was a simple truth - provide something of value to online users and not only will those potential customers drive word of mouth, but more importantly, they will purchase your product. 

Granted, Monty Python's approach was not unique - Radiohead had pioneered a pay-what-you-think-it's-worth model with its 2007 album 'In Rainbows,' and Chris Anderson's recent Wired article (and new book) discusses free as a new business model - Python cleverly engaged YouTube users in a way that illustrated effective word of mouth. As a result, online sales of Python videos increased dramatically.

Although this could have easily been a quick-and-dirty example of online buzz marketing, Monty Python and YouTube employed an incredibily smart social media strategy that built an even more solid social media presence for the brand. 

Another key strategy which drove online word of mouth was to integrate other social media platforms as well as search engine optimization. With an official presence on Twitter (two if you include founding member John Cleese's personal account page), Python has done more than driven the sales of its videos - the group is demonstrating how such social media tools can play to building brand affinity. By tagging their "official" videos, Python has also helped drive search results. Just do a Google search of "Monty Python Argument Clinic" and you'll see an excellent example.

With an increasing audience for online video, YouTube is becoming a critical channel for engaging people. By creating a smart, purposeful social media strategy, Monty Python has not only grown its online presence, but is continuing to drive sustainable word-of-mouth, leading to greater brand performance and greater profits.

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Social media seems to be the latest version of sliced bread.  All but the laggards of brands have dipped a toe in, while others are looking at how they can restructure their organizations to better support the dialogue required of this on-line focused phenomenon.  

In contrast, I recently participated in one of the most offline of activities - - a girl's weekend.  I came home with funny stories and a list of new products to try, another TV show to DVR, a handful of songs to download and a book or two I'm convinced I need in order to immediately improve my life.  The experience of spending time with people like me was the perfect space for sharing perspectives, experiences and ultimately, that which is most valued by marketers, recommendations.  

Social media gives more people a voice and the opportunity to connect with more people and brands and causes they care about.  It's powerful stuff and, used right by marketers, can be a key driver of recommendations.  But as marketers in our social media obsessed world, we cannot overlook the old-school power of offline face-to-face.  Gathering online can be powerful, but who can argue the connection made when hanging out with friends, meeting with folks of similar interests or in a group focused on a collective issue?  The true opportunity is finding ways for brands to become relevant to those conversations in ways that provide value to the participants.  Through Word of Mouth Marketing it's possible and powerful.

The PQ Media/ Word of Mouth Marketing Association study released last week trumpeted the growth of Word of Mouth vs. other forms of marketing, and it further validates the influence of Word of Mouth on our purchase behavior. Although this study sheds light on some of the dramatic changes in the ways consumers are responding to both marketers and the brands themselves, it only gives half the story.  Perhaps next year's study should look at the impact of offline vs. online Word of Mouth on recommendation?    

Fact is that brands need to do both and in complementary ways.  Brands need to be involved in social media in order to be part of the conversation.  But, they can't forget to take it offline as well to create personal interactions that fuel recommendations.






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The opinions on how to use social media are as varied as on any other polarizing issue. There are more than two sides, a gray area and everything in between. Besides using social media to meet a new beau, get a new job or simply declare your deepest, darkest feelings, is it possible to use this medium to do some charitable good? 

This summer, Mashable began a series #FindingtheGood  highlighting non-profit companies' efforts with social media. Since I'm a sucker for a cute puppy or kitten, one post that stuck out for me was about the Humane Society's presence on a variety of social networks. The author writes:

"By focusing marketing efforts on social media sites, HSUS has been able to tap the viral nature of such sites and spread their message to new people."

That's exactly it. I know what the Humane Society is, but I'm not a member and I don't regularly check on their activities. By becoming a follower or fan on Twitter and Facebook, I enter into a part of the social media "club" that allows me access to relevant information about whichever charity I'm interested. 

Another surprising use of social media to promote charitable good came to my attention when my colleague Gordon blamed "Drew's cancer" for his laptop troubles. I wondered who the heck Drew was and why people were blaming his cancer for everything. I looked a bit deeper and figured out what was going on. 

In May of this year, Drew Olanoff was diagnosed with cancer. He then came up with the idea to raise money for the American Cancer Society by inviting everyone on Twitter to blame his cancer for anything they wanted - from getting "Livin' on a Prayer" stuck in your head to losing your money in a vending machine. A dollar provided by a future corporate sponsor would then be donated for each tweet. Over 7,300 people have blamed over 12,000 things on Drew's cancer, demonstrating that taking a humorous look at a serious disease can get people talking about an often nerve-wracking topic. Their tweets transformed into a successful word of mouth campaign, all the while, raising charitable funds. Check out some of the great tweets by following #blamedrewscancer.

 
I blame Drew's cancer - do you? How has social media helped you make a difference in the world?



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