P&G Taps Bloggers, Moms for Unconventional Product Launch†

Word-of-Mouth, Buzz Push for Crest Weekly

Advertising Age, August 21, 2008 — Procter & Gamble Co. is trying something decidedly new with toothpaste: launching a product designed to be used once a week. The idea, of course, isn't to get people to brush less often. Rather, Crest Weekly Clean Intensive Cleaning Paste, which is set to hit stores by mid-September, is billed as a weekly addition to people's daily tooth brushing. The goal is to provide that "just-from-the-dentist," smooth, clean feeling, as P&G and some bloggers who've gotten sneak previews of the product have put it.

Better ROI or Your Money Back, Says Buzz Agency†

BzzAgent Wants to Prove Word of Mouth Performs Better Than Any Other Medium

Advertising Age, July 14, 2008 — BzzAgent, a network of regular-Joe brand advocates, is making a big bet that word-of-mouth marketing will outperform any other discipline when it comes to ringing registers and driving advocacy for brands.

With its "WOM Impact Guarantee" program, which launched today and will run throughout the rest of 2008, BzzAgent is inviting any brand marketer and its agency partners to take part in a challenge in which BzzAgent and the agency partner will run competing campaigns. If BzzAgent does not top the competing agency by 20% across four metrics — brand awareness, consumer opinion, purchase intent and actual sales — the agency will refund the marketer the cost of its word-of-mouth campaign and measurement costs.

What Web Buzz Does for Car Sales: Not Much†

BrandIntel Finds Online Chatter Doesn't Indicate Which Vehicles People Will Buy

Advertising Age, February 26, 2008 — Positive online buzz for cars and trucks doesn't necessarily translate to volume sales, according to marketing-data firm BrandIntel.

The New Brand Ambassadors†

Adweek, December 31, 2007 — Remember when citizen journalism was a novel idea? Now, average people armed with video cameras, laptops and mobile phones routinely cover everything from flood and fires to violence on the streets of Myanmar. Combine this do-it-yourself movement with the idea that every thought and personal event is Facebook-worthy, and it makes sense that citizen marketing is the newest form of consumer activism—one looked at by marketers as a potential holy grail.

Word-of-mouth Marketing: Budget Increases Speak Volumes About W-O-M†

Brandweek, December 31, 2007 — Pssst. Word-of-mouth marketing is spreading. Pass it on. How "loud" has this category become? W-O-M marketing is projected to hit $1.3 billion this year, up almost 33% from $981 million in 2006, per PQ Media, Stamford, Conn. And the word is definitely spreading: Spending is expected to triple by 2011.

Word of Mouth for the Masse

"What do YOU think?"

eMarketer, December 5, 2007 — Word of mouth is not limited to cutting-edge influential consumers. The majority of consumers give and get perspective on purchases, according to Forrester Research's "NACTAS Benchmark Survey." Six in 10 US consumers surveyed said they shared product advice with family and friends.

Spread the News: Word of Mouth Worth $1 Billion†

Arguably World's Oldest Form of Marketing Is on the Rise as Advertisers Pour More Into Discipline

Advertising Age, November 15, 2007 — What's consumer word-of-mouth advocacy worth to marketers? Try $1 billion.

That's how much marketers spent on WOM — as it's known to its practitioners — in 2006, according to an independent research report on the field that will be unveiled during a session at the annual Word-of-Mouth conference in Las Vegas today. The analysis, believed to be first in-depth look at word of mouth, reports that spending on the emerging discipline has increased from $76 million in 2001 to $981 million in 2006 and is expected to grow to approximately $3.7 billion by 2011.

Honda Dealers Selling Cars ... and New Image†

Case Study: After Push, SoCal Consumers See Salesmen as Less Sleazy

Advertising Age, September 3, 2007 — ay, "car dealers"; think, "sleazy."

That's been the association Americans have had for the past 30 years, according to Gallup polls that routinely lump dealers at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to ethics and trustworthiness. But now, a group of Honda dealers is out to change that reputation, at least in Southern California. About six months ago, it acknowledged dealers' notorious image and now is aiming to clean it up. The tactic: a marketing campaign to prove Southern California Honda dealers are helpful.

WOM: Teens Speak Another Language, Face Time Is Crucial

Marketing Daily, August 15, 2007 — WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING positive brand word-of-mouth (WOM) among teenagers, the action isn't all on the Internet. In fact, almost two-thirds of information and opinions about products and services is exchanged face-to-face, according to a new study by the Keller Fay Group marketing research firm.

Successful Social Marketers Give 'Em Somethin' To Talk About

MediaPost Publications, August 14, 2007 — BRAND MARKETERS FACE A CONUNDRUM. They know there are scads of consumers online talking about their products, but much of the commentary is merely noise. What they're looking for are the consumers who are real advocates for their brands, even though these types rarely blog.