Brand talking: Wrapping your brand around Word of Mouth

“Let’s go to press” … Walter Winchell’s famous words as he opened his syndicated column.

Once, the power of word of mouth was epitomised in the innuendo and snide remarks of gossip columnists like Winchell and the acidic Hedda Hooper and Louella Parsons. Their abilities to make or break careers through a broadcast were legendary.

Today, the rules have changed. Those being held to account are just as likely to be in commerce, and the ones baying for the truth could be bloggers, reviewers, journalists, colleagues, competitors and/or customers. Their targets are no longer the rich, the famous or even the scandalous. They could just as easily be you or I.

The age of open source has arrived: Web 2.0, word of mouth, buzz … we’re being left in very little doubt that the internet has morphed into a global neighbourhood; one where products, services, corporations and individuals are watched and commented on around the clock. Today, more and more consumers are prepared to lend the weight of their word, their reputation and their opinions to products in the marketplace.

If you’re a company with happy customers, this development could well make you a star. But if you’re playing up or playing around, then expect the opinion police to catch up with you – and to circulate their views to a potentially large audience in a very short time frame. As Dan Rather discovered, the sway of one WOM arena alone - the blogosphere – now has the potential to unseat even institutions.

None of this is that surprising. A number of commentators have been saying for some time now that, as other criteria converge, reputation – and more specifically morality – will come to play an increasingly important role in decision making. The argument’s a no-brainer. As corporate trust continues to plummet – and the research clearly shows that it is - more and more people are looking to other individuals for opinions and ideas about what they can and should trust. Blogs, podcasts, texting and other media have all accelerated as a result.

We have, as I pointed out in a presentation recently, reached an interesting and quite radical stage: a time of individual critical mass where people swarm around a topic, a company or an opinion, achieving tremendous leverage as they do so and propelling the object of their attentions to fame or infamy in very short periods of time. Then, just as quickly, they can disperse – only to reswarm somewhere else in an entirely different configuration.

The WOM phenomenon reinforces a concept that most of us haven’t really given that much thought to, until recently. It’s just possible you or I could catch the world’s attention. In the right environment, that could be a powerful, lucrative and inspiring development. On the other hand, if the attention is unwanted or you are caught unawares or unprepared, it could be a significant mass of stress.

Proof of the gathering power of the “word of mouth” idea can be seen in the growth of “opinion portals”. Some, like Epinions (www.epinions.com have been around for ages. Here you can read reviews of products and services in a bewildering range of areas. Others, like TRUSTcite (www.trustcite.co.nz now enable customers and prospects to come to one place online and choose a business based on personal referral and the visible recommendation and feedback of past users. It’s an intriguing hybrid of the search engine, blog, online gossip and directory models – with a consumer advocacy twist. Both sites mean there’s no more need to rely on hope or blind selection. Instead, see for yourself what others are prepared to say before you choose.

Perhaps not surprisingly, I see a powerful role for brand in this emerging age of virtual references. To me, while the media may be changing, and the rules along with them, this time of new scrutiny only serves to highlight the need for companies and individuals to fully understand the power and distinctiveness of their identity, value and promise. Brand basics, in other words. Reputation and endorsed value are set to count for more than they already do – and impressions will soon rise or fall in ways that cannot easily be controlled. If you’re not holding your organisation, yourself and your own people accountable for behaving according to your brand, you may well find yourself being called to account by those you thought you could just sell to.

It’s too soon to say what the all-out implications of WOM will be. One thing is certain. If you’re not ready to be talked about, then you may not like the attention you are now getting, or will soon get, over how you act, think and trade.

On the other hand, if you’re one of the vanguard of companies coming to the realisation that marketplaces are just as much communal as transactional, then word of mouth could well work powerfully in your favour. Companies that embrace their markets, that are committed to doing right by them, and that are inclusive, honest and open with influencers will profit from the talk they generate.

One more critical point. Word of mouth is not size-dependent. It’s not just for corporates. In fact, smart SMEs and not for profits will also see opportunities here to lift the goodwill they enjoy in the community. It’s not necessarily an expensive strategy either – although it is exacting, because it requires your business, regardless of size or sector, to actively monitor its interactions, impressions, perceptions, likeability and deliverables.

If that all seems a little over the top for you and your company, then consider perhaps the words of Oscar Wilde who once said that the only thing worse than being talked about was not being talked about. If you’re inclined to agree that anonymity could well be a business threat in an increasingly interconnected world, here’s 12 thoughts to help WOM-ready your brand:

1. What sort of reputation do you actually want? In other words, what do you want to be known for? And what do you want to see spread? To an extent, that’s something you can’t control. But it’s something you should think about, and train your people to think about – because it’s great discipline for behaviour.

2. Do you have a sound-byte brand? Can others describe what makes you special in a sentence – because if they can’t, how do you think they’re going to get everyone interested quickly? If you don’t, then you need to start circulating those thoughts in your email sign offs, your newsletters, the way you talk about your business, the way you introduce your company to others. Impressions are too important to be left to chance.

3. Do you make news? What are you doing to give your brand and your business gossip-ability? Who’s going to listen to your story – and why? Do you have RSS feeds to help your customers quickly gain access to what’s new in your world?

4. Are you listening? Word of mouth brands thrive on interactivity. That means encouraging your customers not just to talk to their coteries, but also to talk openly and clearly with you. What are you doing to encourage feedback? What measures have you put in place to help those who do interact with you feel that their opinions are valued, sought and actioned?

5. Are you intriguing? People spread news because they want others to know things, but they also want to be judged on what they talk about – negative, positive or just plain interesting. How will talking about you enhance the status of the person spreading the word? Will you bring people flocking?

6. Are you findable, forwardable and linkable? No point in talking and being talked about if people can’t access you. Can you be reached by those you want to do business with and who discover they want to do business with you? If not, you may well find the frustration of not being able to get hold of you becomes the new point of conversation!

7. Are you commentable? Are you saying things that capture people’s attention and get you posted and referred to? Are you taking a stand on things that matter to the people who matter to you? You don’t have to be controversial of course. You may be whimsical, pointed, scathing, authoritative, insightful … but if you’re going to declare an opinion, make sure it’s orginal and that it’s one worth having!

8. Are you being honest? There’s nothing wrong with seeking publicity. There’s everything wrong with being deceitful … and chances are, you will be found out.

9. Can you take the criticism? Because it will come. Inevitably. If you’re prepared to take advantage of communal chatter, then you need to be prepared to take a little flak as well.

10. Have you made being remarkable a feature of your brand? Have you incorporated outstanding thinking, actions and commitments into your way of doing business – and are they consistent with the reputation you’ll looking to achieve? If not, then you’re going to fall short or go unnoticed – both of which completely defeat the point!

11. Do you know what’s being said about you? Have you searched your company name to see what’s already out there? Are there impressions circulating about you already that you want to capitalise on or counter? Or are you starting from a clean slate?

12. Are you ready to be hijacked? This is an Alex Wipperfurth thought centred on being prepared to cede control to your customers. Not easy for many, but rewarding for those who are prepared to go with it. If you want more details, read Alex’s book on the subject – Brand Hijack (us.penguingroup.com - it’s very good. (See how this WOM thing works!)



Brand talking: Wrapping your brand around Word of Mouth - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Di Somma's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Strategic Branding Questions
	There’s a heightened interest in branding these days. For small businesses, it can be one of the most important marketing programs of all. As you launch (or relaunch) a branding campaign, take a look through these...
Build Your Reputation
	I’ve been building the Trump brand for several decades. But from time to time, landmarks do come along.
The brand audit university branding in China
	Vanderbilt University, an internationally recognized research university in the United States, attracts a high percentage of student enrollment from Asia. A number of students attend Vanderbilt from China and Taiwan...
The Fear of Differentiation
	Building a unique small business brand requires some courage. Why are unique brands so scarce while middle of the road products, services, retail stores, etc dominate the business landscape? My theory is that it has...
Why Trademark?
	If you own a business, you spend a significant amount of time and effort building it up to be successful. You need to protect it the same way that you protect anything else that is valuable to you. What is the bes...

---

Related Forum Posts
	Word of Mouth Transformation - Recording
	Measuring Word of mouth
	Word of Mouth
	diamond vs. square
	Re: diamond vs. square
	Ebook Creation
	No Plan - Just Fate!
	Re: How do you negotiate your rate or price?