The World of Word of Mouth

“I haven’t even asked you the question yet!” – Tom Booker (Robert Redford) – The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Vista hasn’t exactly swept the globe.  BD nor HD DVD optical formats haven’t gotten people rushing to stores with cash flowing out of their pockets begging to buy either flavor of burner, player, optical disc.  Forget about laying blame on any of the companies involved.   My gawd they’re doing their part.  They’re spending truckloads of money to convince consumers – business and individual – that tomorrow is here…it is better…it is time to make the move…NOW!

They point with pride to the positive reviews.  They have their share of early adopters who are first in line to buy anything.

Can’t Get Enough – Technology innovators and early adopters can’t gobble up new and different technology fast enough.  Fortunately there are a lot of them around the globe who are first in line to buy.  They do it again and again, casting off yesterday’s products before the price tag is cold.  Source – NY Times

You know the guy/gal in your neighborhood or company who is always on the bleeding edge of technology.  Their marketing people are creative and smart.   They have more plans and programs in the works all designed to convince folks that if they don’t get on the horse and ride they’ll be left in the dust.

In today’s instant news, constantly connected world they know that for the products to succeed they have to tap into and leverage consumer behavior.    There’s only one thing missing.  Giving more than lip service to their best weapon — their best marketing tool – customers.  You know those innovators and early adopters that folks turn to for information and recommendations.

Figure 1 – Big Jump – The challenge for most products, most companies is leaping across the small break in the buying cycle to reach volume sales and profits.  Source – Geoffrey Moore’s “The Chasm”

If the products don’t jump Geoffrey Moore’s Chasm fast enough they advertise more…add features…introduce new versions…lower the prices.  The marketing/advertising options are almost limitless today.

Figure 2 – Reaching the Masses – In the rush for sales volume and “acceptance,”  marketeers use all of the communications tools at their disposal to send out their controlled message.  Unfortunately word of mouth is seldom aggressively pursued because it is something the company can’t control.  Source – DoubleClick, ROI Research

Companies will do almost anything to get visibility for their new products.   They want the press coverage, the reviewers’ praises, the analysts’ reports, all of that marketing buzz that makes products fly out of the warehouse and off the shelves.  But they seldom leveraged word-of-mouth (WOM).   You know advice from family, friends, business associates, people actually using the products.  Talk to and work with the customer on a real 1:1 basis?   Are you out of your freakin mind?