Word of mouth marketing is today’s hot topic. It is seen in the attention the FTC has given it, the new specialty WOM shops sprouting-up, the venture capital community becoming active, and brand marketers demanding it.
Certainly the reasons for all the attention is varied, but the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) deserves much of the credit for propelling the subject matter into the forefront of our marketing minds. They’ve done a terrific job marketing and attracting members to an organization that did not exist much more than a year ago.
No other place was the excitement around word of mouth more evident, and rightly so, than at the Word of Mouth Basic Training (WOMBAT) conference held last week (Jan 19-20, 2006) in Orlando, FL. Four hundred fifty marketers showed up to talk WOM. I was one of many speakers and quite humbled to be a part of it all. I spoke with two other panelists, Terri Whitesel and Yvonne DiVita, in a session, "How to Get Women Talking." I attempted to share some insights and ideas marketers should be aware of when trying to connect with moms.
The conference in many ways felt like 1999, when CRM was very hot and Don Peppers and Fred Reichheld were often keynote speakers, as they were at WOMBAT. Their messages have changed little, but now the reasons for adopting their teachings are to derive the benefits of positive WOM, not CRM anymore. I was reminded today that not too many years before CRM that customer service was what was on everyone’s minds. Don’t take that the wrong way, their wisdom is groundbreaking, but I find it amusing how the platform to preach investing in your best customers and customer loyalty have to be presented with the topic de jour for people to become engaged.
To get a feel for the variety of topics covered, visit the WOMBAT blog at http://www.womma.org/wombat/blog/ One speaker stole the show, largely for the humorous quality of his story. Scott Ginsberg told of how he came to decide to wear a 'My Name is Scott' name badge everyday for the rest of his life and what has happened since he started 6 years ago. He explained how he wears it to make people friendlier and himself more approachable, but I think he does it to meet girls.
If you are a marketer looking for attention in your company, attend a WOMMA conference, read an article or two about it, and declare yourself an expert. You will be one. WOM as a marketing method is very new and everyone is just starting to understand the resulting benefits, even though Don Peppers and Fred Reichheld already told us years earlier.
