Join Your Peers in WOMMA's New Facebook Group

Since WOMMA announced the creation of its Facebook group last week, more than 90 of your word of mouth marketing peers have signed up to take part. Join the group and check out this great collection of word of mouth aficionados. You can post WOM-relevant stats or studies on the wall, sound off on the latest industry debates, or start a discussion on the latest industry opportunities.

This group was created to serve as an online meeting place for:

• WOMMA member companies
• WOM practitioners looking for a community of their peers
• College students who want to be on the cutting edge of marketing
• Teachers who are looking for the best new information to give their students
• Consumers who have questions about how WOM affects them

Join with us to participate and HAVE FUN!

Remember, WOM is for everyone. Let's spread the word.

Click here to join WOMMA's new Facebook group

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Announced: WOMMA Members Save $ at OMMA, CAB, & MBA Events

WOMMA is always looking for opportunities to save our members money. (It's just one of the many benefits of being a WOMMA member).

Log into the Member Center now to get your discount code and take advantage of the latest WOMMA event deal(s):

• OMMA New York
  September 24-25, 2007 | New York, NY
  WOMMA members save $300
• CAB Exchange Summit
  October 2-3, 2007 | San Jose, CA
  WOMMA members save 5%
• MBA Tour
  Several Dates and Locations
  Free for WOMMA members

Click here to get your discount code(s) now

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Get New Customers While You Recruit New Talent through WOMMA's Job Board Postings & Buyers Guide (FREE to WOMMA members)

WOMMA members receive a variety of valuable benefits. Here are two you may have forgotten to take advantage of:

• WOMMA'S BUYERS GUIDE: All WOMMA members have a reserved spot in WOMMA's Buyers Guide; don't let yours go to waste. This is the first place clients turn when looking for their next partner in WOM. Make sure your company is among the ranks. Visit the Buyers Guide to fill out your free profile now.
  » Governing Members automatically get a free upgrade to a Featured Listing.
• FREE MONTHLY JOB BOARD POSTINGS: WOMMA's Job Board matches the best brains in the industry with the companies that are leading the field. WOMMA members, don't forget to take advantage of your free monthly posting on WOMMA's Job Board.

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WOMMA Members Voice Enthusiasm for Influencer Council

RECAP: Last Tuesday, Aug. 7, more than 70 WOMMA members dialed in to take part in this kick-off conversation about the influencer model. After introductory remarks by WOMMA board leaders, President Ed Keller and VP Paul Rand, callers were invited to voice their thoughts on issues related to influencer marketing. Callers were interested in exploring a range of questions, including:

• What are influencers? Different companies have vastly different ways of identifying and defining them; how do we create a uniform understanding of what influencers are?
• Once you've identified and engaged your influencers, how do you sustain their interest?
• What are the ethical concerns in dealing with influencers?
• If everyone is targeting influencers, should we also be concerned about oversaturation?

Based on the level of interest expressed, it was determined that WOMMA would launch a new Influencer Council to address such issues as:

• The need to standardize definitions and terminology
• Research and metrics
• Transparency and ethics
• Best practices

Eighteen companies signed up to join the council during and immediately following the phone call (and more are expected).

If you would like to participate in a task force that tackles these issues, please send an email to membership@womma.org. Put "INFLUENCER COUNCIL" in the subject line.

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WOMMA Welcomes Interim CEO Peter Waldheim

Shortly following WOMMA's official inception in 2004, Peter signed-on as the organization's Senior Strategist, involving him in a wide range of organizational activities including membership, public affairs, and helping to represent the industry in Washington, D.C.

Prior to his WOMMA involvement, Peter had been actively "spreading the word" for more than three decades, employing the internet, direct marketing, social networks, and personal presentations to frame messages, engage people, embrace activists, build coalitions, and market ideas to the American public.

Highlights of Peter's career include serving as a consultant to 80+ nonprofit organizations, as well as a variety of political candidates and organizations, including 20 U.S. senators. In the corporate world, he has served as the CEO for the Association for Interactive Media, where he worked with top executives from such companies as Microsoft, IBM, Intel, NBC, DreamWorks, Time Warner, MTV Networks, and others.

In recent years, Peter has co-managed global outreach programs for Holocaust restitution, been appointed by once-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to serve on two committees advising Senate Democrats on both public interest and political issues related to the internet, and redesigned online strategy and operations for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Based both on his professional credentials and his above-par joke-telling abilities, WOMMA is happy to welcome Peter to its Chicago office. Welcome, Peter!

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Welcome New WOMMA Members!

Welcome to new WOMMA members:

• Brand Networks
• Upperkut
• nFusion
• Internet Strategies Group
• American Society for Surgery of the Hand
• Mindshare

Thank you to everyone for your support!

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Spreading the Word

News by, about, and for WOMMA members:

• Congratulations to WOMMA's VP of events, Teresa Nelson Buescher, and her husband Randy, who welcomed baby boy Nathaniel on Saturday, July 29!
• WOMMA Board member Scott Wilder of Intuit was interviewed recently for an article featured on the "Bernaisesource" blog. Read the post here.
• Gary Spangler of WOMMA member company DuPont was featured in an ad:tech article titled, "How DuPont Bought Ad Space on Blogs to Help Make Video Series Go Viral." You can read it here.
• WOMMA Board member Pete Blackshaw of Nielsen BuzzMetrics and Blake Cahill of WOMMA member company Visible Technologies were quoted in the cover story for the August issue of American Executive. You can read the article here.
• Spannerworks, part of WOMMA member company iCrossing's network, is sending a team of eight employees to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in September. The climb will raise funds for the Amani Children's Home, which is a home for orphans that is located at the base of Kilimanjaro. To donate to the effort, visit the 'Kili climb' website.

Are you speaking at an event or receiving an award? Were you quoted in the press? Are you making a change at work or at home, or otherwise just doing something really cool? Tell us about it and we'll spread the word! Email editor@womma.org.

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