For some time I've been intrigued by the idea of Word of Mouth Marketing. Many business people will tell you that their best marketing happens by word of mouth. But conventional wisdom says that this is something you can't control.
Not so, says a growing group of professionals in the business of creating "buzz." So I thought it was interesting to see this announcement today:
This release comes from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), which claims 40 corporate members. The association has just come out with a code of conduct for its members. Here's an interesting quote that gives insight into the thinking of this group:
At the heart of the Code is what WOMMA calls its Honesty ROI -- honest disclosure of Relationship, Opinion, and Identity. This demands that advocates (those who are spreading a marketer's message by "word of mouth") disclose their relationship with marketers in their conversations with other consumers; that they be allowed to form their own honest opinions and let those with whom they're communicating form their own opinions; and that everyone be transparent and reveal their identity to anyone with whom they're communicating.
Through reading and thinking about this approach to marketing -- and trying it out to some extent -- I have become convinced that it is indeed possible to generate and to some extent control word of mouth. So I'm happy to see a more organized effort to build a body of knowledge and best practices in this area.
AB -- 2/9/05
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