DISCLAIMER: Just because it is Lindy Dreyer Week here at www.saulcolt.com does not mean she agrees with any of my opinions...in fact I am not sure I make a point in this post and if she had written it there would be better grammar. What I am trying to say is don't hate me cause I am beautiful and clap your hands if you love ferries and pixies...personally speaking I love the Pixies and all things Frank Black but this isn't about that, it is about Lindy Dreyer and while the following posts were inspired by a conversation with her they are all my own ideas and opinions. Don't hold her responsible for my views :)
A few weeks back I was lucky enough to attend the Canadian Marketing Association's Mass to Grass – Word of Mouth Conference and I learned a few interesting things...but perhaps not what you would expect from such an event.
My biggest take away was that WOM marketing is still a mystery to some large companies and to even a few people that are working in the industry.
What I mean is there was a panel of experts who couldn't agree on "best practice" or even if WOM should be campaigns or everyday initiatives...now reading this you may be reading to yourself "Self, that must have been an interesting panel but also must have been a waste of everyone's time". Now I can only speak for myself but this was one of the cooler things I saw at the conference because I love the fact that there is still a mystery (or MAGIC) to WOM and because people can't agree says to me that there isn't only one way to do it well but rather you need to try stuff and see what works for you and your product and/or service.
Other things that caught my attention was the constant discussion around WOM campaigns. I am firmly in the camp of WOM needs to be a 365 day a year project (and in 2012 it will be a 366 day a year project because of a leap year) that is more of a lifestyle then a time limited amplified campaign. Sure you may try to push things at a launch etc but to think that you are going to work like crazy to get people to notice you and then when the month ends you slow down or stop altogether is strange to me. I am a believer that WOM has to be hard wired into you and your company's DNA if you are going to do it well and you need to make it a way of life and not a seasonal activity
Finally (and this may not make sense to all but it makes perfect sense to me..) There was a lot of talk about the difference between b2b and b2c WOM marketing. This is another thing that had me scratching my head because the point of WOM is to get people talking. These "talkers" may or may not be customers but they probably know people who could be so instead of using the terms b2b or b2c I would love to see everyone adopt the term and philosophy of B2E (business to everyone...and I think I may have coined this phrase so please give me credit from now on and while you are at it I would also like credit for "AWESOMESAUCE") because the backbone of WOM is to do remarkable things that are interesting enough for people to talk about. Remarkable things are interesting and interesting doesn't have a time limit and doesn't have to be targeted directly to one group or another because everyone loves interesting things.
I am not saying WOM is the new mass marketing but WOM IS THE NEW MASS MARKETING only with a more personal/one to one feel..you could almost say it is B2E (see what I did there!).
Everyone should be playing with WOM initiatives and keep trying different things and see what works for you because you would be amazed how powerful it is!
*Not Sure if there will be a post tomorrow as I will be travelling but when I return on Thursday I will be explaining why Measurement is Killing WOM so please come back and check it out!
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