|
|
|
What’s the Buzz?By Kim T. Gordon People love to talk, and when they say great things about your business, it translates into increased sales and a strong growth curve. "The Buzz" is about what's hot, new and interesting, and its more persuasive than traditional advertising because buzz is based on trust -- we're more likely to believe something our friends or co-workers tell us. The flash point for buzz is located where your public relations and referral programs come together with a bang. Think of the engines of buzz as influencers or opinion leaders. They can be experts or authorities, the press, politicians, celebrities or well-connected customers others rely on for helpful info. When Oprah recommends a book it soars to number one, and when Sarah Jessica Parker wears a new gown, it’s pictured in fashion magazines. The fuel these influencers and opinion leaders require is compelling information, whether it's about the latest books, fashion or software. Avoid Bad Buzz The key is to give people something positive to talk about. Emanuel Rosen, author of The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word-of-mouth Marketing (Doubleday) believes the more interconnected your customers are the more crucial word-of-mouth becomes. Thanks to the Internet, bad buzz can spread fast. According to Rosen, "Very often buzz is truthful. If people have a bad experience they'll say so." How do your customers learn about your products or services? If it's through email, chat rooms and discussion groups, you can monitor customer comments and fuel positive buzz by fixing any problems that arise or dealing directly with any customer complaints before they become a big problem. Companies that ignore this strategy risk suffering the same setbacks as Intel did in 1994, when a complaint posted on the Internet concerning its Pentium chip was belittled by the company which resulted, says Rosen, in 25,000 angry phone calls a day. Get People Talking Companies that are masters of good buzz never stop innovating and sharing information, and they use samples, demos and events to get the word out. Trivial Pursuit was an unknown game until the company's PR department began sending copies to the celebrities it mentioned. Each received a letter from the company president clipped to the game card that held the question about them. "This kicked off Trivial Pursuit parties in Hollywood," says Rosen, and the buzz soon spread across the country. Back in 1983, when coach Brian Maxwell and a student, Jennifer Biddulph, invented an energy bar for athletes called PowerBar, they sent local athletes a box containing five bars and a follow-up survey, and handed out samples at sporting events. Over the years, they continued to enlist coaches and leading athletes, and by March 2000, the company had surpassed $140 million in sales and was sold to Nestle. Want to build maximum buzz? Try combining the one-two punch of media relations with special events for your best customers like BMW did for the highly successful launch of the new Z3. First, they created an innovative product and brilliantly placed it in the James Bond movie, GoldenEye. Prior to the movie's release, BMW dealers held private screenings and receptions for as many as 40,000 customers. They also held a sneak preview of the car in Central Park attended by about 200 members of the media who were treated to a surprise appearance by the film's star, Pierce Brosnan. Exclusivity -- like being among the first to see the new BMW -- and scarcity fuel buzz. For proof, consider the craze over collecting certain Beanie Babies, the popularity of TV shows that reveal the value of rare collectibles, and the enormous buzz that fuels eBay online. Timing can also affect the buzz surrounding a product launch. Right now, maturing baby boomers, for example, are buzzing about anti-aging beauty products, such as those with CoQ10, and retirees are talking about the pros and cons of products with gingko biloba. The biggest myth about buzz is that buzz is all you need. Word-of-mouth often spreads very slowly, so traditional marketing, including advertising and promotion, is still necessary to facilitate sales. Buzz is the added spark you ignite when you give the media and your best customers something to talk about. Get In-depth Coaching on this Topic>> Kim T. Gordon's columns and articles are read by nearly 3 million small and home-based business owners each month. She is the author of two books, including Bringing Home the Business: The 30 Truths Every Home Business Owner Must Know. Copyrighted material. May not be reproduced in whole or part without expressed permission from the author. |
|
This site is designed and produced by National Marketing Federation, Inc. (c) 2007 All Worldwide Rights Reserved
|