ORLANDO, Fla. – Last summer, in an article titled, “I Sold it Through the Grapevine,” Business Week reported that marketing powerhouse companies like Procter & Gable were using legions of moms to help promote their products. In behind-the-scenes word-of-mouth campaigns, these moms share products and coupons with co-workers and friends based on talking points suggested to them by the company, helping the company introduce new products and extol the virtues of current products.
BJ Bueno, marketing expert and a partner at Nonbox Consulting, believes hiring “pretend fans” often backfires. His newest release, Why We Talk: The Truth Behind Word-of-Mouth (Creative Crayon Publishers, February 2007, ISBN: 0971481539, $24.95) explores word-of-mouth marketing and how to generate, not manipulate, customer conversation. Bueno introduces seven principles to create amazing customer experiences and generate authentic product gossip, steering marketers away from buzz agents and freebies, as well as other techniques that do not build lasting brands.
As word-of-mouth becomes a more accepted and popular marketing practice, most marketers have focused on WHAT people talk about but have failed to address WHY people talk. Based on extensive research into psychology, marketing, and consumer behavior, Why We Talk explores what motivates consumers to spread the word about a company and its products. Bueno advocates learning how to serve your customer better, instead of investing time and energy trying to manipulate and influence customers to talk.
There is no magic formula to get people to start jumping around and telling the world about a new product or service,” says Bueno. “If you give someone something to talk about, they will. Create experiences for your customers through your products and services that give them something to talk about.”
Bueno is the co-author of the popular marketing book, The Power of Cult Branding, which received rave reviews from leading marketing mavens like Al Reis, Jay Conrad Levinson, and Jeffrey Fox. Bueno is also a partner in Nonbox Consulting, a consumer insight think tank located in Orlando, Fla., which provides consulting services for companies interested in discovering the secrets to creating beloved brands. He is a member of the Retail Advertising & Marketing Association (RAMA) and is on the board of the Chief Marketing Officers (CMO) for top international retailers. He has advised companies like Kohl’s Department Store, LA Lakers, Thomas Nelson Publisher, Scheels, and the Magic of David Copperfield. Bueno currently lives in Orlando, Fla.
For more information about Why We Talk: The Truth Behind Word-of-Mouth, please visit cultbranding.com/blog.