At the rate the media is fragmenting -- and with consumers saying enough! with the bombardment of advertising -- marketers may ultimately have to send out reconnaissance
missions to find new customers. In the meantime, two new surveys point to viral and word of mouth marketing (V&WOM) -- as well as targeting so-called "enthusiasts" -- as
increasingly effective PR tools to build buzz and cut through the clutter. The first study, from London-based Datamonitor, finds that consumers are suffering from information
overload and prefer to turn to family and/or friends for product recommendations. The second study, from Westlake Village, Calif.-based Bear Enthusiast Marketing Group, features
the first in a series of white papers resulting from one-on-one interviews with about 100 enthusiasts across the U.S. The mission: help marketers understand their consumer base by
understanding enthusiast subsets. As Rick Hauser, senior VP of Bear Enthusiast Group, puts it, "When you talk to diehard enthusiasts you're not only sending the message to them
but to people who share that person's interests."
Trends making viral and word of mouth marketing more effective:
- Consumers lack trust in societal institutions and marketing claims - Individuals are engulfed in skepticism about civil and corporate institutions. Furthermore, despite
the growing importance of trust as purchasing pre-requisite, consumers continue to be skeptical of the specifics of product claims and types of marketing methods employed. - Consumers are suffering from information overload - Consumers are increasingly faced with a bewildering array of product choices, which often leads to a 'confused by over-
choice' mentality. In such circumstances, competent and trusted WOM referrals can help consumers become more informed without them engaging in demanding and time-consuming search
activities. Contemporary consumers are also faced with a dramatically increased number of marketing channels and platforms to deal with. - Consumers aspire to cool consumerism and connoisseurship - Increasingly, self-definition is bound up in logos and products because brands are equated with lifestyles.
Consumers seek to purchase brands they feel are reflective of their identities. The connoisseurship trend relates to the fact that it is cool to know about the latest developments
before other people. To gain credibility amongst their peers consumers share positive consumption experiences via WOM by projecting themselves as intelligent shoppers,
connoisseurs and as experts.
Attitudes towards viral and word of mouth marketing:
- Consumers are becoming more skeptical and aware of new tactics - Both V&WOM campaigns can be potentially dangerous because more consumers feel that they are being
exploited or are themselves taking advantage of others. Given the heightened skepticism, it is increasingly important that campaigns are well executed and that certain tactics are
tested via primary research and pilot programs. - Consumers respond particularly well to three key factors - Humor, incentives, actual product recommendations and a campaign created around simplicity are the most important
things in facilitating exponential growth of a viral or WOM message.
Source: Datamonitor PLC