All Things WOM

Creating Talkable Brands | Preview #5

John Moore — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:05:35 +0000

This is my last preview of next week’s Creating Talkable Brands Conference. We’ve highlighted only a few of the 40+ sessions in previous posts. You really should work your way through the full agenda. You’re guaranteed to find topics related to making your business smarter about its word of mouth marketing activities.

Day #3 kicks off with discussions about the new FTC guidelines. It then dives deep into the role customer service plays in sparking conversations. More breakout sessions from notable brands. And, the conference closes with the WOMMY Awards luncheon, recognizing the best word of mouth marketing programs from the past year.

KEYNOTE | The Role of the FTC in Word of Mouth and Social Media Marketing
[Fri. Nov. 20 | 8:00 – 9:15]

WOMMA has long championed honesty, transparency, and disclosure with the design and delivery of word of mouth marketing programs. The Federal Trade Commission has adopted many of the ethical standards first set forth by WOMMA.

Chuck Harwood, Assistant Deputy Director with the Bureau of Consumer Protection, will explain why the FTC has adopted new guidelines as it relates to endorsements and testimonials used in online social media channels.

Following Chuck’s presentation, there will be a Panel Discussion to share insights and best practices into how brands can adhere to the disclosure requirement.

Roundtable Discussion:
Best Practices on Ethics, Endorsement, and Adequate Disclosure

Panelists include: Lee Peeler, president/ceo of the National Advertising Review Council, Jory Des Jardin, co-founder/president at BlogHer, Sean Corcoran, Forrester Research analyst, Anthony DiResta, WOMMA’s general counsel and partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, and Paul Rand, president/ceo at Zocalo Group.

This will be one of the most important sessions at the conference.

Customer Service: The Hidden Engine that Drives Word of Mouth
[Fri. Nov. 20 | 9:45 – 10:30]

We know great customer service has always been a high-touch affair with the importance of front-line employees making meaningful connections with customers. With Twitter, Facebook, and other Social Media tools, customer service is increasing being a high-tech affair. Given its elevated status, is customer service the new heart and soul of word of mouth? That’s the question this session will answer.

Pete Blackshaw, WOMMA co-founder, author, and evp of digital strategic services at Nielsen, will lead the panel on Customer Service and its role in Word of Mouth. Joining Pete will be marketers and customer service practitioners from Comcast, Levi Strauss, Toyota, and Best Buy.

WOMMY Awards Luncheon
[Fri. Nov. 20 | 1:00 – 2:30]

The WOMMY Awards were created in 2006 to recognize the people, agencies, and brands behind the most remarkable word of mouth marketing campaigns.

Throughout the Creating Talkable Brands Conference, the seven category winners will be announced. At the luncheon, each category winner will present their award-winning case study. And, the Grand Prix Winner will be announced. Sure to be informative, fun, and a a great way to close out the conference.

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There is still time to register for the conference and you can still save $200 off the registration fee.

Blake Cahill on the FTC Guidelines

John Moore — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:38:15 +0000

We’re continuing to share perspectives from WOMMA members on how their companies are incorporating and interpreting the new FTC guidelines.

Blake Cahill, vice-president of corporate marketing with Visible Technologies, steps up to plate and take his swings at three questions we’re asking WOMM members to sound off on.

Q1: What concerns have your clients raised to you about the FTC requiring disclosure?

BLAKE: “We have a wide variety of clients that are investing in listening, learning and engaging with their customers in the social media channel and the most important attribute they share is being transparent when they engage. They really want their customers to know who they are.”

Q2: What is Visible Technologies doing to ensure compliance with the disclosure requirement?

BLAKE: “Well, we don’t execute marketing programs on behalf of our customers but our technologies require that brands or agency domains be used when responding using our technologies.

Q3: Have you seen a best practice example of disclosure? If so, do share who is doing what and why you see it as a best practice.

BLAKE: “From a best practice perspective, I am seeing domains and twitter handles being created that embed the brand name or department as part of the .com address or twitter handle. For example @comcastcares or @ask_wellsfargo. This way end customers can see and know that it belongs to the brand or department because it is also promoted or mentioned directly on a customer’s website or other forms of regular customer notification.

More perspectives from WOMMA members on the FTC Guidelines to come …

Upcoming WOM Events

John Moore — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:08 +0000

Lots of activity happening with WOMMA events and events outside of WOMMA.

If you’re involved with the real estate business you might be going to the National Association of Realtors Conference & Expo in San Diego. I’m going and you can see my presentation on Word of Mouth Marketing happening on Sunday, Nov. 15. Learn more here.

Of course there is the CREATING TALKABLE BRANDS conference put on by WOMMA (Nov. 18-20, Las Vegas). Perhaps you’ve heard about it. Perhaps you’ve registered for it. Perhaps you still need to register for it. The agenda is solid. You’re guaranteed to learn better ways to make your brand/business more talkable.

In December I’ll be speaking at GasPedal’s Word of Mouth SuperGenius one-day event. Looks to be a fun event with lots of solid content. Register here and use the coupon code of ComeLearnWOM to receive $101 off the registration fee. For a teaser of my session, watch below:

Creating Talkable Brands | Preview #4

John Moore — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:44:31 +0000

WOMMA’s Creating Talkable Brands Conference is taking place Nov. 18 – 20 in Las Vegas. The agenda is stacked. So stacked, I’ve been spotlighting sessions in three earlier posts (here, here, and here). This is post #4 and we’re just getting around to the afternoon sessions on DAY 2. (The agenda is stacked I tell ya!)

How ESPN Drives Billions of Word of Mouth Conversations for Advertisers
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 1:45 – 2:30]
Research wonks and marketing wonks will want to attend this session. Ed Keller, CEO with The Keller Fay Group, knows the numbers behind the influential power of WOM. As the Director of Advertising Analytics at ESPN, Julie Popper has tracked tens of millions of conversations ESPN viewers have had about brands advertised on the portfolio of ESPN channels. Together, Ed and Julie will teach us the role traditional advertising plays in sparking conversations.

According to the proposal they sent WOMMA, traditional advertising has far more power to drive WOM than does online social media. They will us show the direct correlation between media weights and flight scheduling with word of mouth conversations.

Creating Grassroots Brand Ambassador Movements
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 1:45 – 2:30]
Event marketing doesn’t have to be a one-time event; its impact can last much longer. Weight Watchers and Active Marketing Group designed and delivered a life-changing event called “The Momentum Walk-It Challenge.” This is a classic online and offline marketing program proving if you design something with the power to make a difference by transforming lives, word of mouth will spread and brand ambassadors will take the initiative to the next level.

Learning Why Consumers Talk
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 2:45 – 3:30]
Ever heard of Cognitive Psychology? I haven’t. However, it’s the science behind why people talk. Steve Knox, CEO of Procter & Gamble Tremor will share scientific principles in digestible nuggets that marketers can act upon. Another great research-focused session for marketers who only want to spend time in the arts of marketing and not the science of marketing.

More Day 2 happenings (and Day 3) will be posted about the upcoming Creating Talkable Brands Conference. (BTW, did you know you can save $200 on the registration fee? Learn more here.)

Steve Hershberger on the FTC Guidelines

John Moore — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:08:29 +0000

We’re continuing to share perspectives from WOMMA members on how their companies are incorporating and interpreting the new FTC guidelines.

Today, we hear from Steve Hershberger, ComBlu principal and co-founder. ComBlu designs and manages influencer marketing programs and brand-related communities, so the new guidelines from the FTC play a role in how ComBlu does business. Steve smartly riffs on three questions posed to him.

Q1: What concerns have your clients raised to you about the FTC requiring disclosure?

STEVE: “The alarming thing is that this topic has not been socialized enough through the brand management corridors at big brands, let alone smaller marketers and even agencies, with only a few exceptions. Nine times out of ten, this is a topic we bring up with clients and prospects as part of a strategic planning initiative or at least include in a deep dive landscape review. I am not yet convinced that marketers realize the business implications, including risk, that is involved in social media, which is why the adoption and adherence of standards and accepted best practices is so crucial.

Today, we still see the approach to social media risk, in this case, defined as paid endorsement and advocate claims as ad-hoc. In essence, it is either an after-thought or treated as someone else’s problem. The problem is that most marketers, unlike their counterparts in regulated industries such as financial services and healthcare haven’t yet experienced close up, what a regulating governmental body with a mandate is capable of doing.

Marketers cannot simply expect to open up the doors of social engagement and not apply discipline to their efforts. If they do so, even in ignorance to the regulations, it is a matter of time before something bad happens. Applying a set of social marketing guidelines that comply with the FTC guidelines is frankly, pretty straightforward, it’s really a matter of approach and process. There is really no excuse for not doing it, especially as time goes on that this topic becomes more and more visible.

Typically, we try and make it easy for clients by baking it into the approach we design for them and then train them as to the what and why. Part of our role over time is to make spot checks to ensure the best practices and standards become part of the natural process and culture of the organization behind the brand. We are not, nor want to be ‘hall monitors’ but do understand that doing things right doesn’t take much more effort the first time than simply winging it (if you have the right resources and team), after that, innovation and social marketing activities should even get easier!

When or if we get pushback, we have a conversation similar to the one I’ve outlined above. If they are not willing to adhere to a set of best practices and standards, we simply won’t work with them. The risk is too great.”

Q2: What steps is ComBlu taking in designing marketing programs to comply with the disclosure requirement?

STEVE: “We have built our social marketing processes, both planning and execution around a set of living best practices. Because of this, any of the programs our brands are involved in have the tools and approaches necessary to comply baked right in.

In some cases, it’s as simple as a series of check boxes built into program tools and planning guides. In other cases, we had to create tools for brand teams to use, such as a rewards spectrum guide that provides a spectrum of sample rewards from explicit (‘Here’s a laptop you can have to use in testing if you blog about my product. Oh, don’t worry about returning it.’) to implicit (‘Thank you for your help. We want to spotlight your work on in our community.’).

As part of our work, we do regular planning sessions, as does everyone else in our field. We track these activities and meet on the results, along with the more traditional social marketing metrics. Again, it’s not that hard if you approach it right.

It is important to have a well-defined and accessible set of social media guidelines that is available to both your employees and your customers. You should be able to tie the content and activity your brand is doing directly online and offline.

Lastly, we would also suggest quarterly meetings to ‘audit’ social media activities. This can be done simply by creating a social media best practices checklist and requiring your marketing teams to review planning documents, processes, activities, and resources to align with the items on the checklist. Self policing is better than mandatory policing (think Sarbanes-Oxley).”

Q3: Have you seen a best practice example of disclosure? If so, do share who is doing what and why you see it as a best practice.

STEVE: “A number of big brands are starting to do it well. Intel, Dell and Best Buy are three that come to mind. I think the biggest reason that Intel and Dell are doing well at it has to do with one key decision they have made. Both have set up centralized, cross-functional teams that are Centers of Excellence. These teams own the responsibility to set up, train, develop and deliver best practices approaches that hold brand teams and marketers accountable for both FTC compliance, as well as, delivering meaningful, true programs that deliver real value.

The good news is this approach is transformative. Marketing is changing for the better, this is a driver of that. So the short term pain is well worth the long term gain.”

More perspectives from WOMMA members on the FTC Guidelines to come …

WOMMA Members on the new FTC Guidelines

John Moore — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:56:08 +0000

It was a few weeks ago when the Federal Trade Commission released its updated guidelines on endorsements and testimonials used in advertising. Word of mouth marketers are focusing on the impact these revised guidelines will have on social media marketing activities.

(There’s a half-day session on this topic at a upcoming word of mouth marketing conference you may have heard about.)

Over the next month we’ll be sharing perspectives from WOMMA members on how their companies are incorporating and interpreting the new FTC guidelines.

The issue in all of this for word of mouth marketers comes down simply to disclosure. If a brand/agency designs a program where a blogger receives in-kind gifts (free camera), special access privileges (trip to visit company’s HQ), and cash (moola, dinero, benjamins) as part of a marketing program designed to spark word-of-mouth, that material connection must be fully disclosed by the blogger.

This act of disclosure protects both consumers and marketers because it assures consumers that product testimonials are truthful and trustworthy, and it offers marketers a viable way to reach consumers with credible information.

Rod Brooks, chief marketing officer with PEMCO Insurance, is pleased to see the FTC stepping up to provide guidance:

“In marketing there are shades of gray … but in terms of these new FTC regulations, it’s back and white. PEMCO strives for transparency in all of our business practices and across all mediums. We’re pleased these new industry guidelines support our longstanding belief that there’s no right way to do the wrong thing.”

MeHype is deep into the user-generated marketing waters. The company links brands with amateur and professional video filmmakers who produce online marketing videos in support of a product or service. Tyler LeCompte is the director of operations at MeHype and he is also pleased with the recent FTC happenings:

“[Clients] have expressed that they are happy to have some documented guidance from a leading source such as the FTC about required disclosure for any ‘sponsored’ blogging/review programs that they have either been participating in or have been considering. Going forward, we will be including a specific disclosure agreement contract that adheres to the FTC guidelines as well as the updated WOMMA Ethics Code.”

More perspectives from WOMMA members to come in future posts…

Creating Talkable Brands | Preview #3

John Moore — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:50:22 +0000

Day 1 of WOMMA’s Creating Talkable Brands Conference (Nov. 18 – 20, Las Vegas) has been highlighted. We’re continuing to highlight Day 2 activities with this post and with more posts to come…

Turning Influencers into Evangelists
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 11:00 – 11:45am]
Gamers are an influential bunch, they have sway in which games get talked about. GameStop understands the importance these influencers have in driving awareness and purchase of the newest games on the market. Partnering with Fanscape, GameStop has designed offline and online word of mouth marketing programs to not only reach the influential gaming community, but also to turn them into evangelists for the GameStop brand.

Chris Olivera, GameStop Corporate Communications VP, will break down the strategies and tactics GameStop uses to tap into the enthusiastic gaming influencer community. Tag teaming with Chris will be Fanscape’s President, Terry Dry, and Fanscape’s VP of Business Development, Kristin Rodack. Also on the panel is Freddie Wong, a cracker jack Guitar Hero axe man and gaming influential.

The Proven Momentum Effect of Word of Mouth
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 12:00 – 12:45]
On the Research & Measurement track, Graeme Hutton, SVP of Consumer Insights at Universal McCann, shares new findings on the relationship between traditional advertising and word of mouth marketing. Should be a very interesting session for marketers needing to improve the effectiveness of their marketing mix allocation.

Power Lunch with Kristian Bush of Sugarland
[Thurs. Nov. 19 | 12:45 – 1:45]
Sugarland is one of the more popular country music acts, winning Grammy awards and winning fans. Much of Sugarland’s success stems from the band’s LOVE THE FANS philosophy. The band does creative things to keep their fans involved from scavenger hunts for hidden tickets to a continuous stream of interesting tweets on Twitter.

A band is indeed a brand. We marketers can learn lots from how Sugarland broke through the clutter of country music bands to become a success. Ted Wright from Fizz will set the stage for Kristian Bush, singer and guitarist from Sugarland, to share how Sugarland uses word of mouth marketing strategies to make his band a success.

More Day 2 happenings (and Day 3) will be posted about the upcoming Creating Talkable Brands Conference. (BTW, did you know you can save $200 on the registration fee? Learn more here.)

Creating Talkable Brands | Preview #2

John Moore — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:02:37 +0000

We began the preview of WOMMA’s Talkable Brands Conference (Nov. 18 – 20, Las Vegas) by highlighting a few sessions from the afternoon of Day 1. Highlighting the agenda from Day 2 will take a few posts to spotlight some of the sessions.

Answers from Academics to WOM’s Toughest Questions
[Thurs. | 9:35 – 10:30am]
There is an art and a science to word of mouth marketing. This session will focus more on the science of WOM. Brad Fay from the KellerFay Group will ask Professors (Walter Carl & Jonah Berger) and PhDs (Lezan Aksoy & Barak Libai) important questions about the motivations for why people talk. The differences between how online and offline WOM spreads will no doubt be covered. And, I’m expecting a heated debate about targeting “influentials” versus “influenceables.” Answers from these academics will be steeped in research and deep analysis. Every marketer is sure to learn something new from this session.

True Believers: Turning Skeptical Co-Workers into Progressive WOM Marketers
[Thurs. | 11:00 – 11:45am]
I read the proposal Sean McDonald (Ant’s Eye View) and Sam Decker (Bazzarvoice) sent in for this session and thought this will be the most creative session at the conference. Sean and Sam have outlined all the corporate characters who can derail the success of a WOM marketing plan. We’ll meet the finance guy (”Eddie Excel”) who always cries out for the ROI. “Fanny Facebook” is the marketer manager who thinks all she needs is a Facebook fan page, without any strategy, and WOM will happen. “Freddy Filabuster” shows up to grandstand against a marketer’s plan, but he’s only interested in advancing his career and not advancing the business.

Fun and creative stuff, for sure. But the session will also be helpful in giving us advice on overcoming the objections and misguided approaches from co-workers, thus, paving the way for our WOM marketing plans to succeed.

I’ll post more later about Day 2 happenings at the upcoming Creating Talkable Brands Conference. (BTW, did you know you can save $200 on the registration fee? Learn more here.)

Creating Talkable Brands Preview #1

John Moore — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:45:03 +0000

We’re less than a month away from WOMMA’s Talkable Brands Conference (Nov. 18 – 20). Sign-ups have been strong. And for good reason — the agenda is strong.

There are over 40 sessions with 4 learning tracks and 4 keynotes addresses (.pdf agenda). For each of the breakout sessions, WOMMA is pairing up a Brand with an Agency. So you’ll be hearing both perspectives, the brand-side and the agency-side.

To help make sense out of the packed agenda, I’ll be sharing previews of sessions leading up to the conference on this blog.

The Conference kicks off with a keynote from Emanuel Rosen, an author and marketer who helped to spark interest in word of mouth marketing nearly ten years ago with the publication of THE ANATOMY OF BUZZ. Earlier this year Emanuel updated his influential book on WOM to include new learnings, new methods, and new case studies. His presentation will share the latest insight on all things WOM.

Of the 8 afternoon sessions on Wednesday, November 18, I’m looking forward to the following ones:

The Annual State of Word of Mouth Address
[Wed. | 2:00 - 2:45]
Dr. Walter Carl has been a fixture in past WOMMA Conferences. Of course he’ll share new information on measuring WOM, that’s what he’s known for. He’ll also give us marketers more ammunition to better sell-in our WOM programs up the corporate food chain.

Choosing the Right Agency for your Social Media Marketing Projects
[Wed. | 5:15 - 6:00]
David Witt (public relations manager, General Mills), Christine Morrison (social media manager, Intuit), and Steve Knox (ceo, Procter & Gamble Tremor) will advise brand marketers on what to look for in a social media agency partner. The beauty of this session is you’ll get both sides of the story (brand and agency) to help you better prepare your RFP and to whittle down the seemingly endless agency options. A must-attend session for brand marketers.

In Preview #2, I’ll begin highlighting sessions from Day 2 of WOMMA’s Talkable Brands Conference.

LEARN IT. DO IT!

John Moore — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:39:22 +0000

WOMMA just launched the LEARN IT. DO IT! Education Series. We’re now offering Brands, Agencies, and Non-Profits on-site education about Word of Mouth and Social Media Marketing.

For a flat-rate travel fee, I’ll visit your business and share what WOMMA has learned on how to make Word of Mouth happen and how to effectively use Social Media to make your brand more talkable.

Each 60-minute presentation will be customized to your needs ranging from Basic Training to Sharing Case Studies to Measuring What Matters. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and to watch a special message from me to you.

For bootleg video of a recent LEARN IT. DO IT! presentation… watch below.