CISION.COM  877.269.3367 150 Ferrand Drive, North York, ON M3C3E5

Copyright © 2015 Cision, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

How do our customers become loyal brand advocates? How do product recommendations from our family, friends and social networks translate into sales? How do you build a community for your brand that will engage and convert organically, online and offline? The answers to these questions point to the remarkable power of word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM).

What is Word-Of-Mouth Marketing (WOMM)?WOMM leverages third-party conversations to build brand presence among stakeholder communities. It strengthens reputations, increases awareness, boosts engagement, attracts new customers and creates sales opportunities.

According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), the official trade association for word-of-mouth and social media marketing, WOMM is a targeted business action that earns a customer recommendation and harnesses the power of people to build brand awareness.

Kimberly A. Whitler, a former CMO and current Forbes contributor, offers more insight. She says WOMM strategy should engage, equip and empower community members: “Give your fans the gift of you.

Engage with them. Listen to what they are telling you. … Give them reasons to talk. It can be amazing products, great service, insider knowledge, social elevation, incredible stories, unbelievable facts or even funny disclosures” said Whitler, who went on to explain that you should give your consumers every possible avenue to discuss and share information about your product.

“Let them know that they are important to you and that sharing their opinions is important to you. If you can master these, you can become the most beloved and talked about product in your category, which will ultimately lead to increased sales.”

WOMM Within a PR Framework

WOMMA has been offering best practices and insights into word-of-mouth marketing since 2004. Their most recent “Return on WOM Study” finds:

• WOM drives 13 per cent of consumer sales and is responsible for $6 trillion of annual consumer spending.

• Offline WOM produces two-thirds of measured business impact; online WOM drives one-third.

• One offline WOM impression drives at least five times more sales than one paid media impression — and much more for “higher consideration” categories.

• WOM amplifies the effect of paid media by 15 per cent.

• WOM has a more immediate impact than traditional advertising. Ninety per cent of online and 73 per cent of offline WOM’s impact is felt in the first two weeks.

Stacey Miller, senior social and media relations manager at Cision, adds, “Word-of-mouth marketing is a part of successful public relations, and always has been.”

HOW TO BUILD ANDEVANGELIZE YOUR

COMMUNITY WITH WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING

Give your fans the gift of you. Engage with them. Listen to what they are telling you. Give them reasons to talk. It can be amazing products, great service, insider knowledge, social elevation, incredible stories, unbelievable facts or even funny disclosures. - Kimberly A. Whitler, former CMO, Forbes Contributer““

CISION.COM  877.269.3367 150 Ferrand Drive, North York, ON M3C3E5

Copyright © 2015 Cision, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETINGWhitepaper

In many cases it’s communicators who initially “seed” conversations and content within their respective communities.

GEICO’s “Hump Day” ad is one example of this practice, says Jonah Berger, author of “Contagious:”

It’s not a particularly clever ad, but it did really well. When I looked at the data further, there was a spike on social chatter… every Wednesday. People talked about that ad on Wednesday because they were reminded of it.

You can’t pay outright for that sort of attention or reach. And the reason WOMM resonates so broadly is because, says Miller, “people trust people who are like them.” They may have noticed the GEICO ad, but their interest was more likely spawned by friends and family talking about the ad or a shared experience related to the ad.

Nielsen’s “Global Trust in Advertising and Brand Messages” report reflects this trend. Eighty-four per cent of people view word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family as more trustworthy than ads and other branded content. In addition, 84 per cent of consumers would take action based on a personal recommendation.

5 Essentials for Successul WOMM

How do you ensure success with word-of-mouth marketing? WOMMA says the most effective WOMM strategies are:

Let’s examine these qualities more closely:

Social

Social, in this case, refers to online and offline conversation. The two spheres have merged, so WOMM has followed suit.

Zappos is known for its exceptional customer service because people share their experiences with the brand. Megan Marrs, a writer at SEO company Wordstream, tells the following story:

There are incredible stories about Zappos workers going above and beyond for customers. One worker, after discovering that a return shipment of shoes was delayed because the customer’s mother had passed away, sent flowers to the home in lieu of an invoice. It’s this kind of demonstrative concern for customers that has made Zappos the brand it is today.

Being social requires an ability to perceive context and respond with the right answer at the right time. Why is

a person tweeting about glasses? Are they unhappy with the pair they have or preparing to visit the optometrist? Understanding “why” lets you give welcome advice and aids in building a relationship.

Respectful

Be respectful and courteous. Establish day-to-day processes for online and offline interactions. Also develop a plan for crisis communications. Your ability to withstand negative feedback will produce community goodwill and support. A quick recovery or resolution may even help you convert detractors into brand loyalists.

Repeatable

Building and evangelizing a community arises from sustainable, repeatable practices. It’s like planting a garden. You may add new vegetables or need to fertilize the soil, but the underlying principles don’t change. You repeat them, over and over again, in order to maintain and harvest a plentiful crop.

To be repeatable, track your efforts. Outline the process used. Assess the results. Did word-of-mouth increase or decrease? Was the word-of-mouth positive, negative or neutral? Use that

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CISION.COM  877.269.3367 150 Ferrand Drive, North York, ON M3C3E5

Copyright © 2015 Cision, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WORD OF MOUTH MARKETINGWhitepaper

information when starting your next WOMM campaign.

Measurable

One of the greatest challenges of WOMM is measuring return on investment (ROI). But today’s technologies and tools make it easier to accomplish, particularly in regard to online word-of-mouth.Brewster Stanislaw, CEO of Inside Social, spends his days proving social’s ROI through metrics like conversions and revenue. He says:

… if you think about it, social is word of mouth. Except now it’s digital, which means it has a whole new set of properties. It’s trackable, attributable and optimizable. Those properties offer marketers a tremendous opportunity to understand word-of-mouth today—what’s being said to drive sales, who’s saying it and where it’s being said.

Credible

Authenticity and transparency are prerequisites for successful WOMM. If your message isn’t credible, no one will listen to you. Similarly, if the people talking about your brand aren’t sincere, no one will listen to them. Lack of credibility is a big reason why many PR pros question the practice of paying influencers to advocate for a brand.

WOMMA offers five guidelines for measurement:

1. Align data. Map WOMM against other tactics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure data quality.

2. Measure word-of-mouth triggers. WOMM is organic, but paid marketing and campaigns can trigger it. Track all the sources just as you would with website traffic. It will offer insights into how WOMM, owned media and paid media work together to achieve results.

3. Incorporate sentiment. Segment WOM data by positive, negative and neutral sentiment. It will provide context to your efforts.

4. Evaluate impact on owned media and search. WOM has been shown to drive greater activity on these channels

5. Track advocacy programs. Influencer and customer loyalty programs can have a huge impact on WOM and sales. Follow efforts and outcomes closely.

10 Ways To Engage In WOMMWOMM tactics range from traditional media relations and online community engagement to influencer relations and customer evangelist programs.

Which tactics are right for you? The answer depends upon your objectives and KPIs. Figure out those two pieces first. Then consider how some or all of the following 10 ideas can be incorporated to accomplish your goals and achieve measureable results.

Triggers

Trigger marketing is meant to initiate word-of-mouth (WOM). Efforts can include paid media, such as advertising and promotions; branded content like

entertaining videos and infographics; and offline activities.

Southwest Airlines is famous for memorable “triggers.” When flights are delayed, gate attendants have been known to instigate silly games. They’ve handed out gift cards to customers with the oldest penny or the shabbiest briefcase.

These experiences take place offline, but they’re exactly the sort of triggers that lead to successful WOMM. Customers inevitably talk about their flights with friends, family and coworkers.

Grassroots

Grassroots communication can include letters to the editor of the local paper. It can also involve organizing and motivating volunteers to engage in personal or local outreach. Grassroots marketing takes many routes, but it has one thing in common: a highly involved and hyperlocal community.

Political campaigns are traditional examples of grassroots communication, but indie musicians, nonprofits and big brands use the tactic, too. The secret is to have a compelling story, a unique service or product, and engaged and loyal supporters.

ArtSnacks, a monthly subscription service, is a good example of a grassroots practitioner. The brand encourages subscribers to participate in a monthly art challenge

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CISION.COM  877.269.3367 150 Ferrand Drive, North York, ON M3C3E5

Copyright © 2015 Cision, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WORD OF MOUTH MARKETINGWhitepaper

and to share work online. As they do, they attract attention to the service and drive new subscriptions.

User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is content supplied by the community. People share photos or other content online, and you retweet or repost it. It’s organic, but it can and should be cultivated.

Forrester’s study, “User-Generated Content’s Impact on Brand Building,” finds the tactic critical to securing ratings and reviews and building a brand:

Consumers trust content from their peers more than any other form of marketing communication. Harnessing UGC’s storytelling power can help build brand trust and ultimately a deeper, emotional connection to the brand.

YETI Coolers uses UGC to great effect with their #BuiltForTheWild campaign. The brand asks customers to share photos of the product in the “wild.” Customers are happy to comply. Their YETI coolers accompany them on whitewater rafting and rock climbing adventures.

Sara Kenton, director of e-commerce and online marketing for YETI Coolers, says the brand aims to “make an aspirational connection between the features of our products and the lifestyle that is so important to our customers. By offering a storytelling platform for our passionate consumers, we’re constantly sharing impactful, authentic stories that justify the investment in our products.”

Social

Social is a component of all the tactics listed here, but it can be used as a primary, rather than secondary, force. Miller suggests creating a PR campaign with an interactive social component: “Use a contest. Require that people share it or other content with friends and family in order to be entered.”

It’s a great tactic, but it requires knowing your audience well. If they don’t care about the reward, they won’t enter. Make the reward worth their social shares. The contest needs to be fun and easy, too. Otherwise, they won’t participate.

Dove’s “Real Beauty Should be Shared” contest is exquisite. Contestants were asked to submit photos of friends who “represented real beauty” along with the friends’ names and two qualities that make them beautiful. Winners (the contestant and the friend) became the new faces of Dove.

Real-Time Marketing

Real-time marketing uses current news and trends to get people to engage with your brand. When done right, your brand becomes part of the unfolding story.

Brands all over the world use real-time marketing, but Oreo still reigns supreme. No one has yet to forget the “dunk in the dark” tweet. The memorability of that single act points to a critical detail: real-

time marketing is just as much about the right time, place and content as it is about the “buzz.”

Cause

Cause, or purpose-based marketing, leverages social responsibility and an audience’s willingness to “do good.” Find a cause that aligns with your brand’s mission and values and is of interest to your community. In fully and sincerely partnering with a cause, you may gain the respect and admiration of your community and the cause’s followers.

Build-A-Bear Workshop partners with Make-A-Wish Foundation for Valentine’s Day. In 2014, the brand raised $440,000 for the cause.

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CISION.COM  877.269.3367 150 Ferrand Drive, North York, ON M3C3E5

Copyright © 2015 Cision, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WORD OF MOUTH MARKETINGWhitepaper

They asked customers to “share their hearts,” a play on the hearts that builders place inside the plush toys. Customers talked about the bears and the cause, boosting awareness for both the brand and the nonprofit.

Influencers

According to WOMMAPEDIA, 26 per cent of the U.S. population influences the purchasing activities of the other 74 per cent. Who are the influencers that comprise the 26 per cent of your community? Learn who those people are and develop relationships with them.

Skittles tapped into its “Taste the Rainbow” community when the brand partnered with Marshawn Lynch. The NFL player was already known as a Skittles enthusiast—he’s often seen consuming the candy during games—making the influencer campaign natural and believable.

Evangelism

Evangelism is brand advocacy. Rather than focusing on a few influencers, create a groundswell of support within the larger community. Give fans and followers the tools and resources they need to talk about your product or cause.

The American Diabetes Association uses Twibbon during its annual Stop Diabetes campaign to build excitement and unite

the community around a common cause. It’s a simple, but effective evangelism tool. Twibbon features customizable microsites designed to offer people easy ways to show support for a cause or other initiative. People can add a small Twibbon graphic to their Facebook and Twitter avatars to publicly show participation.

They can also download covers for their Facebook profiles and share brand-approved support messages. consuming the candy during games—making the influencer campaign natural and believable.

Community

Community marketing is about rewarding loyalty. Determine why people buy from and support you, then create a user group or fan club dedicated to them. The group can be a private network on LinkedIn. It can also be an invitation-only group housed on your website or other brand platform.

Make the community worth people’s time and effort. Give members sneak peeks to new products and services. Also provide other content and information specific to their interests.

Harley-Davidson understands the power of having a devoted community. The brand organizes social and educational events for its most loyal customers. The tactic builds affinity between the brand and consumers, fosters ties among audience members, and generates conversation.

Thought Leadership

Thought leadership positions a brand as an innovator within a larger marketplace. This increases overall mindshare and sparks engagement.

Microsoft has provided interactive thought leadership with its “Microsoft Envisioning Center.” The immersive tour shows how technology can make life easier and more enjoyable at home, work and every place in between. The campaign has kept the brand relevant within the consumer electronics market and increased visibility with its mid-market and enterprise audiences.

WORD OF MOUTH MARKETINGWhitepaper

CISION.COM  877.269.3367 150 Ferrand Drive, North York, ON M3C3E5

Copyright © 2015 Cision, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Cision is a leading global media intelligence company, serving the complete workflow of today’s PR and communication professionals. Offering the industry’s most comprehensive PR and social media software, rich analytics and a Global Insights team, Cision enables communicators to improve their marketing and strengthen data-driven decision making. Cision also represents the Gorkana Group, PRWeb, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and iContact brands. Headquartered in Chicago, Cision has over 100,000 customers worldwide and maintains offices in Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and China. follow @Cision_Canada on Twitter.

About Cision

Organic Brand Building With WOMMWord-of-mouth plays a pivotal role in building brand and evangelizing communities. While it is often organic and can’t be forced, you can increase the likelihood of strong word-of-mouth with exceptional customer service, a good product, fun activities with your audience and compelling content.

Augment those things with WOMM tactics like community marketing, grassroots communication and thought leadership. As you do, people will interact with your brand. They’ll talk about you with their friends and family. And you’ll do what any good PR pro would: engage further and develop an increasingly loyal and vocal following, online and off.