WOMMA's Womnibus #2.14
- Buzz Marketing: WOMMA Lauds FTC Decision
- AOL's Ted Leonsis Opens Summit with a Splash
- Mentos' Pete Healy Inspires Summit Attendees
- Douglas Walker Proves That Creativity Counts
- Conference Audio: Listen In On What You Missed
- Sincere Thanks for a Successful Summit
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1> Buzz Marketing: WOMMA Lauds
FTC Decision
WOMMA applauds the Federal Trade Commission's response to the complaint filed by Commercial Alert in October 2005 urging that government regulate companies engaged in buzz marketing practices. WOMMA had urged the FTC to understand the distinctions between buzz marketing, which is a legitimate marketing tactic and strategy, and stealth marketing, a practice we strongly condemn and oppose. We are delighted therefore that the FTC decided not to recommend formal action in this matter and with its determination that serious offenses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and its encouragement of the interested public to continue to submit information regarding instances of abuse.
Lastly, WOMMA again calls on responsible companies, consumer advocacy groups, and the interested public to join in our fight for ethical word of mouth marketing standards and practices, and to oppose those who violate such standards.
WOMMA and its members are committed to building a profession that is based on ethical practices. Our new Practical Ethics program gives companies tools to prevent unethical marketing practices before they start. It empowers companies to embrace ethical word of mouth marketing tactics, and avoid unethical ones, all while educating employees, vendors, and customers. Learn more at www.womma.org/ethics.htm .
2> AOL's Ted Leonsis Opens Summit
with a Splash
Over the course of his long career, Ted Leonsis has worn many hats. Among other things, he's been a mayor, a board member, a sports team owner, and a philanthropist. He was founder and CEO of Redgate Communications Corp. -- which is considered the country's first new-media marketing company -- and is currently vice chairman of AOL, where he has been dubbed "champion of the member." An innovator in interactive media and consumer-driven marketing, he was the perfect person to open WOMMA's second annual Word of Mouth Marketing Summit Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
He didn't disappoint, either. In an hour-long keynote speech that left Summit attendees both motivated and inspired, Leonsis offered his best tips and tricks for moving beyond customer service and toward consumer engagement.
Get the highlights from Leonsis' keynote
3> Mentos' Pete Healy Inspires
Summit Attendees
Did you know that combining Mentos with a bottle of Diet Coke creates a fizzy, carbonated explosion? Neither did Pete Healy. But when the vice president of marketing for Mentos maker Perfetti Van Melle found out, he saw green. The Mentos/Diet Coke craze began with a viral video posted at EepyBird.com, in which performance artists create 251 "Mentos Geysers" with more than 1,500 Mentos mints. When he saw the video, Healy launched a Mentos Geyser contest on YouTube that helped turn the video into an estimated $10 million in "free advertising" for his company.
In an hour-long keynote that opened Day Two of the WOMMA Summit Wednesday, Healy told a room full of fellow marketers not just how -- but also why -- his company embraced consumer-generated media. The message: Know your brand and run with it.
Find out what else you missed at the Summit
4> Douglas Walker Proves That
Creativity Counts
Everywhere he goes, Douglas Walker plays Rock Paper Scissors. He's played the game so many times, in fact, that he's been profiled on the Today Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and in publications as varied as the New York Times and Rolling Stone. Yesterday, he played his favorite game at the WOMMA Summit.
Walker is an interactive strategist at ad agency TBWA\Toronto. In his free time, however, he is managing director of the World Rock Paper Scissors Society. As co-author of "The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide," he turned RPS from a childhood game into a word of mouth phenomenon. Yesterday, he told Summit attendees how he did it during a special 15-minute lunch presentation, followed by an exclusive networking competition in which attendees had the chance to challenge one another to a game of their own.
Get the highlights from Walker's lunch presentation
5> Conference Audio: Listen In On
What You Missed
Maybe you missed the entire Summit. Or maybe you just missed a few of the more than 40 sessions we hosted there. Maybe you didn't miss a thing, and you just want to remember all the great information you heard there. Never mind what you did (or didn't) miss; we captured everything on CD. Presentations from more than 70 expert panelists, practical how-to sessions, remarks from amazing keynote speakers -- everything! Live and re-live the Summit experience wherever you want: Order the conference audio, download it onto your iPod, then listen and learn -- at home, in the car, or even at the office (look busy!).
Order audio from the Summit, as well as our past events
Note: All Summit attendees will get a free copy of conference audio -- compliments of WOMMA.
6> Sincere Thanks for a Successful Summit
After two whirlwind days of intense learning, fruitful networking, and inspirational industry-building, the dust is finally settling on the second annual Word of Mouth Marketing Summit. It was WOMMA's most successful event ever -- we hosted more than 70 speakers and nearly 500 attendees! -- and we have so many people to thank for it, including:
* Our sponsors, without whom the Summit would not have been possible
* Our media and association partners, for helping us spread the word about the event
* Our official conference bloggers, for enabling us to share this occasion with others
* Our speakers, for their amazing presentations
* Our Board of Directors, for its dedicated leadership
* Our members, for their continuous support
* Everyone who built buzz around this one-of-a-kind event!
To all of you and more: Thank you, from WOMMA.
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