Word-of-MouthTrickles Offline and Online
A recent NOP World release, “Word of Mouth Ain’t Just Blogging,” stated that in-person conversations are much more likely to be the source of word-of-mouth than electronic communications such as e-mail and blogging. The trend observed in the general population is even stronger among influentialsSM who shape the masses’ purchasing decisions by advising them on what, how, where and when to buy. The sound research follows a legacy of decades of ongoing surveys among public opinion leaders. And NOP World is correct in recommending companies not to “put all their eggs into one marketing basket [and] develop integrated plans that mediate all media.”
As a researcher interested in investigating the Internet’s role in the communication flow, I see a clear path to advance the body of work about word-of-mouth and marketing: Consider online influentials as a distinct breed of consumer, not simply a segment overlapping with the traditional group of influencers.
My view is based on Burson-Marsteller’s online influencer (or e-fluentials®) studies, ongoing since 1999. We modeled the e-fluentials after NOP World’s definition of influentials and learned that electronic communications are just as viable for e-fluentials as traditional word-of-mouth channels. In other words, these Web-savvy public opinion leaders are equally comfortable telling a story over e-mail or sharing it in-person.
This year’s study, focusing on e-fluentials who use high-end technologies (i.e., tech-fluentials) showed the same trend. For instance, tech-fluentials who actively blog are almost as likely to pass along a story about a company by talking in-person/over the phone (77%) as they are by forwarding an e-mail (82%). Their ease in spreading the word about companies by posting to discussion boards (55%), writing to company Web sites (50%) and sending instant messages (50%) suggests that these tech-fluential bloggers are multi-channel consumers.
Content also affects tech-fluential bloggers’ choice of communication channels when they would like to spread information to their networks. They pick communication channels depending on the tone of their message:
--Tech-fluential bloggers are just as likely to spread a negative story (76%) about a company in-person, as they are to share a positive story (77%).
--However, they are more likely to relay negative stories than positive ones on company Web sites (63% vs. 46%), discussion boards (58% vs. 51%) and opinion Web sites (53% vs. 37%).
--They are more likely to send e-mails (84% vs. 79%) and instant messages (54% vs. 46%) when talking about their positive experiences with companies, than when mentioning their negative interactions.
Thinking of the communications process in separate silos (e.g., online vs. offline) may work well for measuring the returns on a media plan. However, everyday conversations about companies, brands and products flow over a much more complex and intertwined set of channels. Public opinion leaders may start telling a story in-person and continue informing their networks online, and vice-versa.
Before weighing one communication channel over another,
marketers need to:
-understand their audiences’ affinity with technology
-determine the tone of their discussions
-prioritize between the online/offline channels to reach consumers
As seen in the example of tech-fluential bloggers, online forums such as blogs, company Web sites and discussion boards may be the places to tune into their conversations and take notes about how public opinion is shaped online and offline. Indeed, checking online postings and comments sent to company Web sites can help companies develop relations with key stakeholders, catch issues before they turn into crises and implement cost-effective marketing tactics. Word-of-mouth is not limited to blogging and other forms of online chat. Yet, we must not ignore that Web-based conversations can provide just as valuable--and more traceable--feedback about products and services than do offline conversations.
----Idil Cakim
Director, Knowledge Development
Burson-Marsteller
Posted by Idil Cakim at May 31, 2005 06:54 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.guidewiregroup.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/54
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Word-of-MouthTrickles Offline and Online:
» csv databases finally from csv databases
[...] The Martens coalition dissolved Oct. 19 in a linguistic dispute between wings of both his Christian Democrats and conservative coalition parties from Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern half of Belgium, and Wallonia, where the language is Frenc... [Read More]
Tracked on November 29, 2009 11:31 AM
» Levitra. from Levitra.
Levitra 25mg preguntas. Levitra. Levitra pen. [Read More]
Tracked on December 3, 2009 07:14 PM
» Free levitra. from Buy levitra.
Buy levitra. Order levitra. Purchase levitra. Info levitra. [Read More]
Tracked on December 4, 2009 09:49 AM
» Re viagra cello. from Buy viagra uk.
Viagra. Order viagra online. Viagra online. Pictures of viagra. Free viagra. Viagra description. Buy viagra in canada. Compare stay erect and viagra. Discount viagra. [Read More]
Tracked on December 5, 2009 04:02 PM
» Viagra. from By mail sale viagra.
Generic viagra mastercard. Viagra. Generic viagra. Re viagra cello. [Read More]
Tracked on December 6, 2009 12:37 PM
» Viagra on line. from Viagra.
Viagra. Cheap viagra. Buying overnight viagra. Viagra uk. Natural viagra. [Read More]
Tracked on December 6, 2009 11:47 PM
» Levitra. from Buy levitra online.
Levitra 25mg. Buy sublingual levitra online. Levitra free trial samples. Levitra. [Read More]
Tracked on December 7, 2009 02:21 PM
» Levitra. from Levitra.
Buy sublingual levitra online. Levitra side effects. Levitra. Levitra and sperm count. Levitra voucher. Using levitra for eczema.. [Read More]
Tracked on December 8, 2009 09:29 PM
» Buy cialis. from Link buy cialis online.
Buy cialis. Cialis like medications. Cialis. [Read More]
Tracked on December 9, 2009 05:55 PM
» Cialis. from Cialis.
Viagra cialis. Cialis. [Read More]
Tracked on December 10, 2009 06:53 PM
» Levitra. from Levitra 25mg.
Experiencing levitra. Levitra experience. Levitra viagra comparison. Levitra. Levitra pen. About glaxosmithkline pharmaceuticals and levitra. [Read More]
Tracked on December 11, 2009 03:16 PM
» How long does levitra last. from Levitra.
Cheap levitra index. Levitra. Buy levitra online. [Read More]
Tracked on December 28, 2009 08:56 PM
» Soma. from Soma.
Soma without prescription. Soma. [Read More]
Tracked on December 29, 2009 09:25 PM
» Soma ironman. from Soma review the retail church chris thron.
Soma muscle relaxer. Soma and addiction. [Read More]
Tracked on December 31, 2009 01:26 AM
» Xanax bars. from Xanax weight gain.
Xanax. [Read More]
Tracked on January 1, 2010 05:13 PM
» Valtrex. from Valtrex.
Valtrex. Buy valtrex without prescription. Side effects of valtrex. [Read More]
Tracked on February 7, 2010 06:30 PM
» Using yaz for menopausae. from Yaz drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol.
Side effects of yaz. Yaz drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Yaz versus yasmine. Myspace yaz fl. Yaz birth control pills. Yaz birth control. Soviet yaz class. [Read More]
Tracked on February 7, 2010 10:47 PM
» Vyvanse. from Vyvanse.
Vyvanse. [Read More]
Tracked on February 9, 2010 08:45 AM
» Yaz birth control. from Yaz.
Yaz birth control. Yaz. [Read More]
Tracked on February 9, 2010 10:23 PM
» Vyvanse. from Vyvanse.
Vyvanse. [Read More]
Tracked on February 10, 2010 02:54 PM
» Vytorin side effects. from Vytorin.
Vytorin ezetimibelsimvastatin. Dosage vytorin. Vytorin. [Read More]
Tracked on February 11, 2010 04:27 PM
» Tricor side effects. from Tricor.
Tricor prices. Tricor. Tricor salaries published in the tennessean. Tricor vs lopid. [Read More]
Tracked on February 12, 2010 02:54 PM
» Valtrex. from Valtrex.
Valtrex. Dosage for valtrex oral. Purchase valtrex. Valtrex prescriptions. [Read More]
Tracked on February 13, 2010 03:25 PM
» Norco 10 325 xanax fedex overnight us pharmacy. from Joe casner attorney and norco ca.
Norco delivery. Norco. Buring fires in norco. Norco world wide. Norco bank robbery documentary. Norco homes for sale. Norco 10 325. [Read More]
Tracked on February 14, 2010 04:35 PM
» Side effects of zetia. from Zetia vytorin.
Generic equivalent for zetia 10 mg tab. Zetia. Zetia side effects. [Read More]
Tracked on February 15, 2010 04:35 PM
» Xalatan. from Xalatan.
Xalatan. Purchase xalatan eye drops pet meds. [Read More]
Tracked on February 16, 2010 04:56 PM
» Xalatan. from Xalatan.
Xalatan alternatives. Purchase xalatan eye drops pet meds. Preservative-free xalatan. Xalatan. [Read More]
Tracked on February 17, 2010 11:53 PM
» Buy vicodin. from Vicodin.
Information about vicodin. Buy vicodin without script. [Read More]
Tracked on March 9, 2010 05:00 AM
» Percocet dependency. from Percocet.
Buy percocet online. Effects of long term percocet use. Half life of percocet. Percocet. Percocet picture. [Read More]
Tracked on March 9, 2010 04:07 PM
» Drug interactions with darvocet. from Darvocet.
Darvocet and drug tests. Darvocet. [Read More]
Tracked on March 10, 2010 03:02 PM
» Soldier s percocet addiction. from Percocet vs. lortabs.
Generic percocet. Percocet. Percocet 93-490 10 mg. Percocet dangers of abuse. Percocet dosages. Percocet and greece. [Read More]
Tracked on March 11, 2010 02:42 PM
» Vicodin withdrawl. from Vicodin.
Vicodin. [Read More]
Tracked on March 12, 2010 02:25 PM
» Fioricet. from Fioricet and blood work.
Fioricet. Does fioricet show up in blood work. Fioricet online. [Read More]
Tracked on March 13, 2010 03:49 PM