The 2010 Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) School of WOM wrapped up Wednesday afternoon here in Chicago, and the social media community has been abuzz with conversation about the wisdom that was shared.

The School of WOM conference is designed to help marketers "move beyond tactics" and gain the knowledge necessary to "engage the social consumer across business disciplines." The three day event featured best practices and case studies from some of the world's top brands, including Coca-Cola, Best Buy, Proctor & Gamble, Google, and Kraft Foods. The School of WOM is led by a "faculty" of distinguished industry experts from agencies (such as Zócalo Group's own Paul Rand and Emily Bader) and major corporations.

With hundreds of Tweets and a lot of active discussion circulating around the event, I thought it might be helpful to share some key insights shared by some of the biggest speakers.


 
Key Notes from the Keynote Speakers:

Jeffery Hayzlett - Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company

• Hayzlett asserted that moments lose their power if they are not shared. This, he said, is why Facebook and Twitter are so powerful. As a company that traffics in moments, Kodak realized it was in its best interest to make sharing moments as easy for consumers as possible. This is why the company will be adding a new "Share" button to all of its cameras.
  

Dan Heath, Co-author of Switch and Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

• Heath, whose newest book features the sub-head "How to Change Things When Change is Hard," connected with the audience by challenging them to "obsess about success." He made the case that people spend too much time concentrating on how to change what isn't working in a given situation, when their energy would be better spent focusing on replicating what is working.

Jeanne Bliss, Best-selling Author, Chief Customer Officer

• Bliss has spent years evangelizing for the importance of customer experience in driving positive word of mouth recommendations. A key point she drove home during her presentation was the idea that businesses need to truly think of their employees as partners, not just cogs performing a given task. "Beloved" companies, she said, trust their employees to do the right thing and eliminate excessive bureaucracy that creates barriers between employees and customers.

Andrew Mason, CEO - Groupon

• Groupon's colorful CEO, Andrew Mason (who gave his presentation in shorts and a faded shirt), preached about the importance of customer service. At one point he indicated that he's sometimes tempted to screw up on purpose, just so he has the chance to apologize -- because he sees just how powerful a heartfelt apology can be. He also perceives customer service to be a major differentiation opportunity for businesses, because, frankly, most companies are so bad at it that even being just a little bit better goes a long way.
  
  

Rob Morris, Co-Founder and President, Love146

• Morris, whose organization is dedicated to the abolition of child sex slavery through prevention and aftercare solutions, tugged on attendees' heartstrings while sharing his take on how online WOM (such as Love146's successful Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter programs) can be used to engage and mobilize individuals around a cause.
  

Jim Lecinski, Managing Director, Central Region, Google

• Although Google may be ubiquitous as a brand, the company still puts a great deal of emphasis on developing sound WOM strategies. For brands that aren't as well known, Lecinski offered these four tips: 1. Pose a challenge, 2. Hold a contest, 3. Give a gift, 4. Surprise people. He pointed to Google's recent integration of the classic Pac Man arcade game into its home page logo as an example of a surprise that sparked a tremendous amount of conversation across the web.

There's only so much of a three day conference that can be packed into one blog post, so we'd love to hear from you. Were you able to attend the School of WOM? What was the most valuable piece of advice you took away from the event?





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As the final presentation of last week's much anticipated Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference came to a close, the chatter online showed no signs of slowing down, with attendees and followers buzzing about the latest insights and trends emerging from the growing Hispanic segment.  

The first conference devoted exclusively to the Hispanic public relations and social media marketing industry, the three day event in Dallas, TX attracted leading brands as well as marketing and PR professionals from corporate communications, government, non profits, PR and social media agencies. Hosted by the Hispanic PR Blog -- led by founder, Manny Ruiz -- and the Hispanic Public Relations Association, the conference exceeded everyone's expectations with more than 300 attendees and 20 informational sessions.

Using the #HPRConf hashtag and following the newly designed @HispanicPR Twitter page, conference enthusiasts were able to stay up-to-date on event details and speakers.


Zócalo Group was also on-site as a presenter and the Official Twitter and Word of Mouth Sponsor, helping to co-host the event's Tuesday Tweetup with the Sánchez Ricardo Agency, a Washington DC-based multicultural communications firm. Thanks to the hard work and incredible energy by Midy Aponte, President/Founder of the firm, and her team, the event turned out to be a huge success and a great networking opportunity for attendees.

Throughout the week, the vibrancy and excitement from the conference floor was evident, spilling over into the hundreds of messages and introductions shared via Twitter and other social media channels. Discussions focused around the role Hispanic marketing and social media will play in coming years -- a conversation that will undoubtedly grow as brands and marketers work to better engage consumers.

Key Trends:

In case you missed any of the conference, check out some of the important trends and questions emerging from the dialogue.

• Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference becomes an important catalyst for industry trends and change
  
  
• 50% of moms in the US are of color and 40% of US kids are multicultural
  
  
• Digital understanding is essential for winning with Latinos
  
  
• Measurement & ROI is big - Hispanics are 73% more likely to purchase a brand associated with a cause
  
  
• PR measurement can be divided into four stages: output quantity, output quality, impact, and economic value
  
  
• How is social media going to transform Hispanic marketing?
  
  
• Latinos are quickly becoming the most active social media users, but the key is translating that into influence
  
  
• Ignore the dividing line between social media and PR as they're often seated at the same table
  
  
• US Hispanic buying power will exceed $1.3 trillion by 2013
  
  
• Want better ROI? Get away from pay media and invest in sustainable social media programs
  
  
• Is social media a PR or advertising function?
  
  
• What tools do you use to track social media campaigns?
  
  
• Latino media is all about connecting to culture, language is not enough
  
  

The conference demonstrated the importance of paying attention to the needs and issues surrounding the Hispanic segment, with marketers already rethinking their strategies to effectively target and engage this audience.

Curious about what else people had to say about the conference? Check out the key presenters, tweeters and hashtags generating some of the greatest buzz during the event.


Most Talked About & Recommended Presenters:

• Rudy Rodriguez, Director of Multicultural Marketing for General Mills, discussing their "Que Rica Vida" campaign

• Lee Vann from Captura Group and his discussion on why Latinos are more social than other demographics

• Stephen Chavez, Hispanic Marketing Consultant, and his educational session on learning CSR strategies targeting Latinos

• Mike Fernandez, VP of State Farm, touching on the importance of the Hispanic community in the changing face of America

• Glenn Llopis, Center for Hispanic Leadership, discusses how diversity propels innovation

Most Active Tweeters:

• @MidyAponte
• @MauraHernandez
• @Berly624
• @hispanicpr 
• @leevan
• @jrvilla
• @hispanicfund
• @HPR_TweetUp
• @Ivan_Leon
• @statefarm
• @jansell
  

Other Top Hashtags:

• #latism
• #diversity
• #Dallas
• #latino2
  

Links:

For more information, photos and to hear what others are saying, check out these great resources.

• Hispanic Bound
• MyLatinoVoice
  
• PRSAY
• PRWeek
  
• HispanicTalentMemo
• HispanicBusiness
• MartinCan
• LatinVisionConference

What's next? Keep an eye out for the upcoming Hispanic Social Media Guide from Hispanic PR Blog, due out later this month!





(Photo Source: Jonah Ansell, MyLatinoVoice.com, Pegasusnews.com)




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What do you get when you combine the fashion industry with location-based social media applications?

Some very happy shoppers. 

Take the below campaigns, for example. The following brands chose to use the location-based app Foursquare in different ways to reach consumers; however, they all share one common theme. Each campaign focuses on heavily integrating the consumer's online-offline experience, allowing brands to directly and immediately engage with consumers.

1. Catch A Choo:

In Jimmy Choo's first social media campaign, the luxury shoe brand is teaming up with Foursquare to lead consumers on a treasure hunt to find their new line of trainers. The shoes "check-in" to some of the most exclusive and fashionable locations in London. The first person to snag the shoes while they are still checked into that venue, get to keep them.

2.  The "Fashion Victim:"

Marc Jacobs, who is considered a veteran to social media when it comes to the fashion industry, created a new badge for New York Fashion Week. Consumers were allowed to check-into stores and unlock the "Fashion Victim" badge. Four people who did so in New York were chosen at random and given tickets to the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.

3. The Faces of Stupid:

Diesel ran a one-day event (working in conjunction with their "Faces of Stupid" Campaign), where consumers who checked-in within a three-block radius of the Union Square flagship store, received their choice of specially designed T-shirts.

A Closer Look at Their Strategy
 

The fashion industry has decided to take a unique approach to location-based marketing and so far it's worked. The main and crucial difference between using location-based services (like Foursquare or Gowalla) versus other social media outlets (such as Facebook), is that brands have the unique ability to immediately alter and improve the consumer's experience. This is an extremely important factor for fashion retailers. 

The above campaigns let Foursquare do the talking for them - that is, they used the app to fuel word of mouth - rather than pumping out a ton of additional promotion.  As two of the first brands in the fashion industry to dive into the location-based social media pool, Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo have seen a significant return on their investment, garnering enough traditional media hype for their Foursquare tactics to make the campaign worthwhile.

In many cases, however, brands end up promoting themselves so heavily through traditional channels as well, that the "social" aspect of their social media campaign becomes completely lost.

As more fashion brands jump on the bandwagon, these kinds of campaigns will undoubtedly get a bit more creative, but for now, consumers are so excited by the spontaneous giveaways and treasure hunts that the fashion retailers can sit back, relax and watch consumers engage with their products in ways they've never seen before.

Knowing that the fashion industry has always been one to push the boundaries of consumer expectation, it will be interesting to see the new campaigns that emerge as more retailers (both high-end and mainstream) begin adopting a stronger social media strategy.

Source: Branding Unbound, the Blog

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PR, social media and marketing enthusiasts get ready as the much anticipated 2010 Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference kicks off today in Dallas, TX.  Hosted by the HispanicPR Blog,  the conference runs May 10th - 12th and will feature some of the industry's leading voices and hottest trends in Hispanic communication.

You too can join the conversation by visiting the Conference's website or Tweeting #HPRConf and visiting the newly designed @hispanicpr Twitter page. Share your best insights and comments related to the Conference and its speakers with colleagues, friends and followers!

For all you social butterflies looking to mingle with fellow Tweeters and Conference attendees post-presentation, check out the official Tuesday Tweetup (@HPR_Conf), held in the Draft Media Sports Lounge at 5pm and hosted by The Sanchez Ricardo Agency.

With the U.S. Hispanic market growing faster than ever, marketers and brands alike have been working to wrap their heads around how to best target and engage this audience. Featuring more than  24 professional development sessions, and more than 70 speakers and presenters, this year's Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference provides an invaluable resource for gaining insight and best practices into reaching this segment.

Attendees and supporters are already buzzing about this year's line-up of topics including a focus on:

•    Engaging Hispanic Audiences Through Media Relations
•    Targeting PR Initiatives to Reach Urban Latino Youth
•    Developing Partnerships with Hispanic Organizations, and
•    Leveraging Social Media in PR & Advertising Campaigns

Presenters hail from some of today's leading agencies and brands including:

•    General Mills
•    UnitedHealthcare
•    McDonald's
•    Verizon Wireless
•    Microsoft
•    Walmart
•    State Farm
•    Qwest
•    Zune
•    Southwest Airlines
•    The US Army
•    NBA
•    The American Heart Association
•    The National Pork Board
•    and more!

For a complete Hispanic Conference agenda, please check out the official Conference website, or tune into @HispanicPR for up-to-the-minute details on speakers and events!



As the Official Twitter and Word of Mouth Sponsor of this year's Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference, Zócalo Group will also be on-site during the event. You can find us by tweeting @jansell or @paulmrand as well as stopping by the Tuesday Tweetup for in -person introductions.

Zócalo Group President/CEO and the President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), Paul Rand, will also be featured as a presenter in panel discussions around the impact and influence of social media and word of mouth marketing. Check out his upcoming sessions here:

• Tuesday, May 11th - 1:30pm
  "A Review of Key Issues and Trends Every Marketer Needs to Know About Hispanic Social Media"
  
  
• Wednesday, May 12th - 10am
  "PR vs. Advertising: A Frank Discussion About Which Discipline is Best Suited to Lead Hispanic Social Media Initiatives and Why"

The Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference is the national trade show division of the HispanicPR Blog, the leading trade media outlet focused on Hispanic PR and social marketing news and views. Share your questions and Conference favorites with us here!




(Post co-authored by Leah Bassett)


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Examples of Word of Mouth can be found in the most unlikely places.

Recently, I found myself watching the William Castle inspired documentary, Spine Tingler, a film that documents Castle's intriguing film making throughout the 1950's and 1960's. 

What I find striking about this documentary is how Castle is discussed. Most documentaries speak about the filmmaker's influences, his directorial style, and/or his themes; however, when many of his colleagues and other industry eminents spoke of this esteemed film maker in interviews, they often described William Castle as a "brand", and that for all of his talents as a filmmaker, his strongest asset was that he was a great "marketer." Granted, his reputation was that he was "King of the Gimmick"...but in many ways, William Castle is one of the unsung heroes of word-of-mouth marketing.

In short, William Castle would drive positive customer word-of-mouth about his movies through creative strategies, fostering a pop-culture brand which exists to this day - all of this within the context of the 1950-era media industry.

Castle's strategies for driving customer word of mouth include:

• Creating unique "brand" experiences for audience members directly within his films.  Even now, he is known for his unique stunts, such as having a skeleton "emerge" from a movie and float through the audience (House on Haunted Hill); having a "punishment poll" to determine the end of a movie (Mr. Sardonicus); and most famously, having theater seats "buzz" a person in order to encourage them to scream, as if they were participating in the film itself (The Tingler).
  
  Moviegoers - then and now - recognized the director's willingness to create unique experiences for his audience. In short, his "stunts" were the 1950's equivalent of offline WOM campaigns.
  
  
• Developing a distinct personal brand.  Castle would often appear in his movies to provide an introduction (and, of course, to explain the "stunt"). By doing so, he not only helped promote the film, he successfully created a personal brand that came to rival that of fellow filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock. By closely identifying himself with his movies, Castle created offline buzz strictly due to the force of his personality.
  
  However, this same technique later backfired when he tried to produce the film version of Rosemary's Baby in the late 1960's. Hollywood saw him as strictly as a "B-movie" director, causing considerable negative word of mouth in the industry, ultimately preventing him from taking the role.
  
  
• Encouraging and driving conversation around key influencers and customers.  Castle would often travel to towns where his films were shot, meeting audience members (primarily 8 to 14 year old's) and interacting with them through special events. Today, we might call this "viral marketing." 
  
  In addition, Castle developed strong relationships with key influencers within Hollywood, including Harry Cohn, then head of Columbia Studios. In fact, Castle's ability to engage influencers led to his films becoming financially profitable, as well as driving sustainable word of mouth with later influencers like Forrest J. Ackerman, collector Bob Burns, and most notably, John Waters, who wrote a tribute to Castle in the early 1980s.

So, in the spirit of William Castle's pre-WOM efforts, I turn to you, dear reader, and ask - are there any unsung pioneers of WOM? Any one in any context - popular culture, history, technology, business - who embraced word-of-mouth principles long before anyone else? Someone you feel is a true pioneer of WOM?





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