In the digital age, it sometimes seems that the more old-fashioned way of advertising, word of mouth, is as extinct as the dinosaurs. However, it is quite the contrary. Although "word of mouth" has evolved slightly into "share through a click," the idea and foundation is still the same: sharing what you like with others in your circle and it is the cycle's repetition that can grow into a massive, free campaign. Dave Williams, CEO of Blinq Media, recently dissected the age-old marketing tool of word of mouth in his digital contribution post to Ad Age. Williams describes the current necessity for marketers and advertisers to "maximize consumer social influence." Basically, companies must get a buy in of sorts from their consumers. This means they must enjoy the product so much, or feel so compelled by peers, that they are willing to "like," "tweet" and/or "+1" about the product for all the world to see, more importantly their portion of the social world.
The reason this whole word of mouth marketing method works is actually rooted in psychology. Contagion theories explain social construction and help us to understand why word of mouth and peer influence in marketing can be so successful. "Birds of a feather flock together," at least that's how the old adage goes, but as it turns out, it is actually holds merit. People with similar demographic and psychographic characteristics tend to "flock" to one another. Because social circles often share similar lifestyles, interests and backgrounds, they are a prime target for ad and marketing firms when it comes time to begin promoting a product.
Williams also touches specifically on Facebook, and describes some of the challenges for marketers with the new format as it relates to word of mouth. He states that information directly from the companies on Facebook is not as common with the new platform and will often be left off many news feeds, so the importance of viewing what friends "like" in news feed updates is even more imperative. It is when one person sees a friend's comment on an item, product or company, and then proceeds to comment as well, that "contagion" begins, most likely along with some celebrating among executives.
With social media showing no signs of deteriorating or disappearing, it appears as if word of mouth will continue to reign as the top goal for companies when it comes to promoting their products. And remember, 'tis the season, so don't forget to "share" with all of your friends and family and you'll be sure to end up on the marketers nice list.
This is an interesting topic. In my Marketing class we discussed the website Pandora’s word-of-mouth marketing campaign and the success the company had. Word of mouth can still drive the masses, as you pointed out in your post Megan. I enjoyed the connection you made with psychology and how similar demographics and psychographics tend to use products and services their peers use. I instantly thought of the new social media site Pintrest and how it gives users the ability to display photos and videos of images they are interested in and share this with peers. This would be an excellent opportunity for marketers to find the crossover between social media and word-of-mouth.
ReplyDeleteWhile word of mouth marketing is by far the most effective and cheapest,companies can't rely on this exclusively. Word of mouth and social media are both uncontrolled. Companies can't control the feedback whether it is good or bad. They also can't trust that social media and word of mouth marketing will alone spread their message. This is why traditional advertising is still necessary and important. Companies can control who, where, and how the message is given.
ReplyDeleteI use word of mouth all the time, especially with Facebook! I have a lot of friends and we have the same general interests but we each have our specialty interests. So when I have purchasing a large, or important to me, purchase I ask my friends on Facebook for their input and reviews on products. My friends are going to use the product in real life and not in a lab, so I feel they will give me a honest review. And if it is a product I may not understand every specific they will put it in my language. I am a huge believer in putting a post on Facebook if you tried a new product and love it, but it goes the same way for a product that is awful.
ReplyDeleteI think social media has made word of mouth an extremely lucrative channel. Late this summer a friend posted on my facebook a link to a preview for Zombie Burger along with a message that read "WE HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT WHEN IT OPENS!" From then on we would update each other when we found things related to the restaurant that hadn't even opened yet. My friends took part in a "Zombie Run" hosted by them where they were given samples of the food and got to paint themselves to look like the undead. Soon after another post from my friend, "Should have came to the Zombie Run! Had a blast and the restaurant looks awesome!" So there I was waiting in line on the second day to eat at this restaurant all thanks to word of mouth.
ReplyDeleteCompanies may not be able to control word of mouth advertising but they need to be aware of consumer opinions. If I see an ad for an interesting product or service I always call a friend to get more information. Like many have mentioned in other comments, I know my friends have similar interests and will give me the best feedback. In fact, if they have never heard of the product and suggest a substitute I would probably by the substitute. I think favorable word of mouth advertising is the foundation for a solid brand image. Successful advertising campaigns foster communication and place the consumer in a position to participate in word of mouth advertising.
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