Buzz Marketing

Marketing has relied on word-of-mouth (WOM) for a long time – happy consumers have always told their friends about the products they like. Direct marketing often includes testimonials from ordinary people or the general public who say why they like using the product. Favourable word-of-mouth publicity – positive WOM – is highly beneficial for the brand because the person who spreads the word is usually highly trusted – a family member, for example. However, the product or service must not disappoint the target audience – it must live up to the hype created by WOM.

Buzz marketing uses existing networks, often social networks, to increase brand awareness. Social networking relies on the idea that people will pass along and share cool and entertaining content. Unlike word-of- mouth, buzz is generated by the brand itself, looking to build awareness of a product or service. A buzz marketing campaign hopes that the message will spread quickly, thanks to buzz agents, people who pass along message.

Comment UK is a company which specializes in live buzz. This is done by performers (actors) acting out live advertisement.

Brands also use stealth marketing, where consumers are not aware that they are being marketed too. The actors asked people to take pictures of them, and took the opportunity to praise the brand, saying positive things about it.

An electronic buzz marketing campaigns, also known as viral marketing, uses viral commercials – ads which are sent around the internet by users themselves. The commercials could be funny video clips (short video files), interactive flash games, images, etc. These campaigns can be started by email, in chat rooms or on discussion boards where groups of people with shared interests meet online, and on peer to peer sites such as YouTube.

At the end of a viral commercial there is usually a clickable link to “tell a friend” or “Email this page”. The success of an electronic campaign can be measured by the number of emails opened, the click-through rate – how many people clicked on the link after opening the mail – and the number of pass-along events.

Comprehension questions:

1. How can you define WOM?

2. What do you know about buzz marketing?

3. What does an electronic buzz marketing campaign use?