Word of Mouth Marketing

Making Word of Mouth Marketing The Go-To Guide For Buzz Builders

Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, authored by Andy Sernovitz, the then-CEO of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, and a pioneer in the marketing industry, was hitting bookshelves in November. Kaplan Publishing retained Rose Communications to inspire excitement about the book and generate buzz within the business community.

Fresh Perspective

Though “word of mouth” is a concept as old as the grapevine itself, the rise of social networks, blogs, online video and text messages was suddenly bringing it back in style. With traditional media channels losing viewers and readers, the idea of an alternate, direct avenue of vocal advocates persuasively influencing groups of peers seemed at once retro and innovative – and powerfully attractive. We observed, however, that the “rules of the road” were elusive. Marketers were in need of guidance, but unsure where to turn for reliable information. With that in mind, we decided to take an education-oriented approach that emphasized Sernovitz’s role as a pioneer at the forefront of the movement. Additionally, we committed to keeping the dialogue lively, current, and concrete by tying him to new, evolving watershed developments like Lonelygirl15, the Wal-Mart “flog”, and the FTC’s intervention into the Word of Mouth arena.

Authentic Approach
  • Harnessed Sernovitz’s industry relationships and reputation to establish credibility for the book and cement him as the WOMM guru
  • Confronted confusion about the technique by positioning the book as a reliable and actionable how-to guide
  • Orchestrated a proactive media campaign using breaking news on marketing issues to connect back to the book
  • Demonstrated the book’s ability to help marketers build breakout campaigns while navigating minefields
  • Practiced what we preached: applied the WOMM principles to the marketing of the book itself with relevant mailings, hands-on demos, etc.
Meaningful Impact

Rose Communications helped ensure the book’s early life was a success. In a three month period, we:

  • Garnered substantial attention from influencers: hundreds of positive blog postings on the book
  • Secured extensive media coverage: Inc., Fast Company, New York Times, PR Week, The Advertising Show, ClickZ, and many more.
  • Supported sales. Sales of Word of Mouth Marketing exceeded expectations

SHOW AND TELL

Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking (Kaplan Publishing)

Word of Mouth Marketing back cover

“Still, there are several crucial points that anyone trying such a program should keep in mind, said Andy Sernovitz. ‘If you want someone to talk about you, you have to give them something to say,’ he said. ‘It’s like stone soup: everyone throws something in and the message gets richer and richer.’”

“Sernovitz does buzz. In two years, WOMMA has attracted 350 members–qualifying the discipline, Sernovitz avers, as a ‘genuine movement.’ He’s also author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking (Kaplan Publishing, 2006). Here, he talks about getting the word out.”

FULL ARTICLE

“Customer service and marketing staffers have a history of being cool to one another. Now that businesses are worried about generating good word of mouth, however, some are looking to close this gulf. Andy Sernovitz, author of a new book that bears the straightforward title Word of Mouth Marketing (Kaplan), explained how bosses can change the behavior within their companies.”

FULL ARTICLE

Word of Mouth marketing has been around since the beginning of time, but only recently has it become a huge fad. So why is this trend taking the U.S. by storm?  Well, I recently met with Andy Sernovitz, CEO of WOMMA and author of the book, and here’s what he explained.”