- Word-of-mouth is the most influential marketing medium according to research. 76% of consumers believe companies are untruthful in their advertising. - The typical American talks about specific brands 56 times per week in conversations, with 90% of word-of-mouth happening offline rather than online. - Word-of-mouth marketing is about giving consumers a reason to talk about products and services by empowering, equipping, and enthusing customers. Remarkable things, great customer service, and how things work are among the top things that get people talking.

1. John MooreJohn Moore
VINTAGE | OCTOBER 2006

2. 76% of consumers believe companies
are untruthful in their advertising
SOURCE: Bold Mouth’s “Perception,
Practices and Ethics” report (2006)

4. Word-of-Mouth is
the most influential
marketing medium
1 | Word-of-Mouth
2 | TV
3 | Coupons
4 | Newspaper Inserts
5 | Media Article
6 | Direct Mail
7 | Magazines
8 | In-store Promotion
9 | Cable TV
10| Online Advertising
SOURCE: BIGResearch’s SIMM VII study (2006)

5. Word-of-Mouth is no longer
anecdotal. It’s actionable.

6. Adam & Eve

7. Paul Revere

8. The Tipping Point

10. The typical American talks about
specific brands 56 times per week in
everyday conversations.
SOURCE: Keller Fay’s “TALK TRACK” Study (May 2006)

11. SOURCE: a Keller Fay presentation on Dec. 12, 2006
90%
OFFLINE
conversation
10%
ONLINE
conversation
WOM

12. Why
Word-of-Mouth?

13. Why
Word-of-Mouth?
we’ve become
SKEPTICAL

14. Why
Word-of-Mouth?
we’ve become
SKEPTICAL
we’ve become
CONNECTED

15. Why
Word-of-Mouth?
we’ve become
SKEPTICAL
we’ve become
CONNECTED
we’ve become
OVERLOADED

17. Word-of-Mouth defined as …
The act of consumers passing-along
information to other consumers

18. Word-of-Mouth Marketing defined as …
An act of giving consumers a reason
to talk about products and services

19. For WOM to happen, people
must talk and people must listen.

20. Reasons People Talk:

21. Reasons People Talk:
1 | They fully understand something
Adapted from: Seth Godin’s SMALL IS THE NEW BIG (pg. 249-250)

22. Reasons People Talk:
1 | They fully understand something
2 | They are compelled to talk about it
Adapted from: Seth Godin’s SMALL IS THE NEW BIG (pg. 249-250)

23. Reasons People Talk:
1 | They fully understand something
2 | They are compelled to talk about it
3 | It enhances something about themselves
Adapted from: Seth Godin’s SMALL IS THE NEW BIG (pg. 249-250)

24. Reasons People Listen:

25. Reasons People Listen:
1 | It’s interesting, which gets them interested
Adapted from: Seth Godin’s SMALL IS THE NEW BIG (pg. 249-250)

26. Reasons People Listen:
1 | It’s interesting, which gets them interested
2 | They understand the backstory
Adapted from: Seth Godin’s SMALL IS THE NEW BIG (pg. 249-250)

27. Reasons People Listen:
1 | It’s interesting, which gets them interested
2 | They understand the backstory
3 | They trust the person talking
Adapted from: Seth Godin’s SMALL IS THE NEW BIG (pg. 249-250)

28. HOW?

29. Give people a
reason to talk
1

30. Give people a
reason to talk
1

31. Give people a
reason to talk
1
Appeal to
interesting people
2

32. Give people a
reason to talk
1
Appeal to
interesting people
2

33. Give people a
reason to talk
1
Appeal to
interesting people
2
Empower, equip,
and enthuse
customers
3

34. Give people a
reason to talk
1
Appeal to
interesting people
2
Empower, equip,
and enthuse
customers
3

35. Give people a
reason to talk
1
Appeal to
interesting people
2
Empower, equip,
and enthuse
customers
3
Join the
Conversation
4

36. Join the
Conversation
4
People are
already talking.
Why not join the
conversation?

37. What Gets
People Talking?

38. What Gets
People Talking?

39. 1 | Great Customer Service
SOURCE: Bold Mouth’s “Perception,
Practices and Ethics” research study,
What Gets
People Talking?

40. SOURCE: Bold Mouth’s “Perception,
Practices and Ethics” research study,
1 | Great Customer Service
2 | Explain How Something Works
What Gets
People Talking?

41. SOURCE: Bold Mouth’s “Perception,
Practices and Ethics” research study,
1 | Great Customer Service
2 | Explain How Something Works
3 | Remarkable Things
What Gets
People Talking?

42. SOURCE: Bold Mouth’s “Perception,
Practices and Ethics” research study,
1 | Great Customer Service
2 | Explain How Something Works
3 | Remarkable Things
4 | Entertaining Stuff
What Gets
People Talking?

43. If Word-of-Mouth is so great and
so effective, why aren’t more
businesses doing it?

44. CONTROL
Lack of

45. Lack of
METRICS

46. Lack of
EXPERIENCE

47. Caveat
Marketer

48. caveat
Marketers do not decide
what gets talked about.
People decide.

49. Marketer created.
People decided.

50. caveat
If you lack confidence
in your products,
don’t do WOM.

53. 30K submissions
85% “Pro-Tahoe”
15% “Anti-SUV”
630K unique visitors
SOURCE: on-line posting from General Motors (4/7/06)
WIRED Magazine article (8/06)

55. Earned opinions
are more valuable than
bought impressions.
caveat

56. Earned opinions.
Bought impressions.

57. What gets measured,
gets manufactured.
caveat

58. lonelygirl15

59. Worry about making it
different, not viral.
caveat

60. Different and viral.
Not different. Not viral.

61. caveat
What customers know
about, they talk about.

62. Apple educates
customers.
Whole Foods Market
educates customers.

63. caveat
Buzz doesn’t create
advocates. Advocates
create buzz.

64. Buzz doesn’t create
advocates.
Advocates
create buzz.

65. Three Things …

66. Remarkable things get
remarked about.
ONE

67. Remarkable things get
remarked about.
ONE
Earned opinions
trump bought impressions.
TWO

68. Remarkable things get
remarked about.
ONE
Earned opinions
trump bought impressions.
TWO
Be confident about your products
before doing WOM marketing.
THREE

69. Questions?

70. www.brandautopsy.com
john@brandautopsy.com