Word of mouth marketing is still awesome

Geno Church from Brains on Fire wrote an awesome post asking a critical question: Has word of mouth marketing lost its wow? (link)

I don't think so. We'll stay special as long as people like Geno are out there fighting for the idea that word of mouth marketing is something special.

Ignore all the talk about WOM as a "media channel" or buying conversations. True WOM is not a media buy. Talking about buying people is offensive.  You can't buy a recommendation -- you earn it.

There is nothing else like word of mouth marketing.

1. It's is the only kind of marketing based on earning love and respect.

2. WOM only works for great companies that make great stuff and provide great service.

3. WOM only works for good marketers. Traditional advertising continues as long as you pay for it, even if it sucks.  WOM only spreads if it's genuinely fantastic.

4. WOM is honest and true.  Word of mouth holds you to the highest ethical standards. Liars and cheaters always get busted.

5.  The good guys win.  Word of mouth rewards those who deserve it.

Comments

Michael E. Rubin, Blog Council said... (May 20, 2008 9:25:14 PM)

#5 is what keeps me excited every day I come to work. It's also why I believe WOM is more than just another passing fad. "The good guys win."

Think about that for a moment. What a contrast to the prevailing attitude that "good guys finish last." For WOM to truly work, you have to be honest and help the good guy WIN. After all, WOM is about enabling and empowering. It's about connection, not dissolution. It's about building up and out, not tearing down.

WOM is not perfect. But it's not a fad, and it's not a cult of personality. It's the first profession and strategy that I have ever encountered in my career where being good makes darn good business sense.

I am a GasPedal employee and this is my personal opinion.

Tom O'Brien said... (May 20, 2008 10:19:42 PM)

Hi Andy:

Nice post - I sat in a conference all day today trying to figure out how to say what you (and Geno Church) say above.

WOM is real, honest, earned and not really available to the manipulators.

Thanks - TO'B

Brett Hurt said... (May 21, 2008 5:07:45 PM)

Andy,

As always, you offer great and concise insight. I, too, especially love #5 - the good guys win. The trick is to find out when you are "being bad". One of our clients, Overstock.com, was selling a leveler that featured a laser beam. Trouble was, you couldn't find where the laser beam was. So everyone returned it. We highlighted this to them, they responded accordingly (where all that saw the customer review also saw their response) and the problem was solved.

Working with our clients, I have seen countless examples of the good guys being empowered, for the first time, with real information on what they need to change to remain good/"perfect". That is why we have invested so much in our word of mouth analytics platform based on our clients' input.

I'm looking forward to seeing you in Austin next week at our Social Commerce Summit. Thanks again for agreeing to be a keynote speaker.

Best,
Brett
Founder and CEO, Bazaarvoice

BIG Kahuna said... (May 21, 2008 7:47:48 PM)

Andy, I think WOM is great and we're helping our clients with programs based on WOM. But...an intergrated, multi-tiered branding program will always be a better way to go.

That may include WOM, traditional advertising, social media etc. Sometimes traditional media can spurn great WOM.

Captain Flummox said... (May 22, 2008 10:11:15 AM)

I want to believe in WOM. In fact, its ancestor the testimonial is one of my favorite genres in terms or persuasion, if not entertainment. But, my personal experience with WOM is spotty. On our neighborhood mail list I asked for the name of a good mechanic, and he turned out to be the worst, most dishonest mechanic I'd run into in decades of driving. On the other hand, I've also benefited from WOM that worked out wonderfully, and in those cases the advice came from people I considered experts. It's up to the audience to judge the credibility and expertise of the source, and I think that's a responsibility consumers will have to take more seriously. Beyond that, the provider of a product or service is likely the ultimate expert. When they communicate credibly, I'll listen -- and maybe corroborate.

John Lepp said... (Jun 11, 2008 8:03:20 AM)

Great post Andy. As a small business owner of course I rely heavily on word of mouth. But I think that some companies realize that they can also purchase word of mouth - and like Captain Flummox mentioned, it starts to become spotty and ineffective... people start to loose trust in it... not good for anyone.

Andy Sernovitz said... (Jun 11, 2008 8:21:59 AM)

YOU CAN NOT PURCHASE WORD OF MOUTH.

Paying for recommendations is called "stealth marketing" - it is the exact opposite of word of mouth marketing.

It is sleazy, unethical, and usually illegal. And it doesn't work.

Try it: 1) you will get busted and 2) you will humiliate yourself and your company.