The buzz you hear is true:
Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM)
is affordable and it works

It’s not just that it’s an idea whose time has come; it has always been around. Eve was an early adopter. When she told Adam, “Take a bite of the apple; It’s delicious!” that was WOMM. Some say the apple was a metaphor for something else she had to offer. Regardless. It’s a case study of the beautiful simplicity of WOMM. combined with Point of Purchase (P.O.P.) merchandising.

When I was a display advertising A.E. for a daily newspaper, the hard-to-sells often told me “Word of mouth advertising is the best.” They were wrong. Not because WOM wasn’t effective. They were wrong because their competitors who advertised got more customers sooner than guys who sat on their wallets waiting for business. But most important, these new customers… this little band of happy campers… soon became a WOM army.

So WOMM always worked. True, it worked better for those with a few bucks to get it rolling. But now the big change is that there are more opportunities for the little guy to make it happen. Today--- via the internet, blogs, peer reviews, cell phones, instant messaging, video, photo sharing, file swapping--- people send and receive more information in a nanosecond than we could ever imagine.

In the old days (circa 1990’s) those fond of business-speak liked to say “Communications is a two-way street.” They didn’t have a clue! They continued to push messages without listening. Now they have to listen. Their prospects and customers will be heard. And these customers and prospects will pass on both the good and bad word about companies and products.

Customers, prospects, mavens, gossips (and bloggers) will respond to ideas, events and promotions that get them talking. For example, the July issue of Wired Magazine has a little 14-page booklet insert titled: “Backseat Driver’s Manual.” The sponsor, Volkswagen’s Jetta, is hardly mentioned.

The useful information it contains is presented with a light and smiling touch. This little promo already has people talking (I am) --- and checking out the Jetta.

WOM isn’t a product pitch. It’s the start of a conversation that helps make good things happen. The messenger isn’t a shill planted to get you in the tent. The messenger is another respected person with a story or opinion that can influence you and others.


WOMMA, as someone remarked, is in its sophomore year. Now is a good time to join the class. For starters go to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s home page at: http://www.womma.org. The site is loaded with excellent information, guidelines and case studies that can trigger ideas for your own WOMM.