WOM Research -- Issue # 2.01 -- September 13, 2006

   1> Marketers: 81% Interested in WOM
   2> Amateur Filmmakers Willing, Able to Spread WOM Online
   3> WOM Influences Half of Tech Purchases
   4> From the Archives:
         Surprise Inspires WOM

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1> Marketers: 81% Intrested in WOM

When it comes to emerging media channels and techniques, the vast majority of marketers report interest in WOM, more than are interested in podcasts, RSS and even blogs, according to research released this summer by Epsilon in association with WOMMA member GfK NOP. The report examines contemporary marketing trends, which reveal a shift away from traditional advertising toward trackable media and, in particular, customer insight-based marketing.

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2> Amateur Filmmakers Willing, Able to Spread WOM Online

Early this summer, Interpublic Group announced the formation of a user-generated content (UGC) practice as part of its Emerging Media Lab to help its clients understand UGC such as blogs, shared videos and podcasts. An initial study of online video found that consumers who create UGC do so in order to connect with others.

Survey highlights include:

* Of those who create online videos, 61% share them publicly.

* Of those who create online videos, 25% have featured a brand in their movies; 32% haven't yet, but would be willing to do so.

* A majority of those who create online videos also generate content elsewhere online; 68% blog, 52% contribute to message boards, 38% write product reviews and 20% create content on social networking sites.

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Latest WOM Stats and Data -- FREE from WOMMA

* 36-page presentation -- a cut-and-paste bonanza!
* All the facts, stats, and data you've been asking for.

Compiled by noted WOM research experts:
* Ann Green, Millward Brown
* Ed Keller, The Keller Fay Group
* Greg Wester, VoodooVox

Download the report
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3> WOM Influences Half of Tech Purchases

In the past 12 months, 48.3% of business executives have been directly influenced by WOM in making a technology-related purchase decision. That's according to MarketingSherpa's 2006 Business Technology Marketing Benchmark Guide, which was published this summer in partnership with WOMMA member CNET Networks. In addition to WOM in general, executives cited blogs from experts and professionals (19.6%), industry media and analysts (10%) and vendors (4.6%) -- all types of WOM -- as influential.

Execs' purchases also were influenced by:

* Trade shows (41.9%)
* Print magazines (40.6%)
* Enewsletters from a known company (34.1%)
* Email from an unknown company (4%)
* Cold calls from telemarketers (2.8%)
* Podcasts (2.7%)

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4> From the Archives:
     Surprise Inspires WOM

It's common knowledge that emotional marketing is good marketing. But one emotion in particular -- surprise -- is key in effective WOM campaigns, according to a 2003 pilot study in the Journal of Economic Psychology. The authors of the study, French researchers Christian Derbaix and Joëlle Vanhamme, found a strong correlation between surprise, subsequent emotions and the frequency of WOM, concluding that pleasantly surprising experiences foster positive word of mouth while bad surprises foster negative word of mouth; the more intense the surprise, they add, the stronger the WOM.

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