New York Times Launches 'Rings' Blog for 2008 Olympic Games

Ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games, The New York Times announced that it has launched its dedicated blog, titled "Ring." During the August 2008 games, the blog will feature contributions from more than 25 journalists in China, as well as forums where readers and Olympics enthusiasts can post their own insights and stories, audio and video, and highlights from Olympic Games past.

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To Do: Join the Editorial Board for WOMMA's 'Measuring Word of Mouth, Vol. 4' Research Book

An Editorial Board for the fourth volume in WOMMA's growing research and WOM measurement series, along with a review panel for a special section on finding the value of a conversation, will be holding a kick-off call later this month.

Members of the MWOMv4 Editorial Board will:
- Read and vet topic submissions
- Identify key areas of interest in the WOM research field
- Give constructive feedback to paper authors
- Rate and review papers for MWOMv4 WOM Research Awards

Members of the Valuing a Conversation review panel will:
- Read and vet special topic submissions
- Verify that the special topic is being represented from a variety of viewpoints
- Greenlight papers for inclusion in MWOMv4

WOMMA members: This is a great way to get involved with WOMMA. If you're interested in being a part of this WOM research effort, send an email to membership@womma.org and we will send along the dial-in information for the MWOMv4 Editorial Board kick-off call.

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Cluttered Facebook Ready for Much-Needed Spring Cleaning

Since Facebook opened up its site to outside application development, the site has been decidedly messy -- much to users' chagrin. So to combat the clutter without cutting back on functionality, Facebook is gearing up to go under the knife, getting a full-on face-lift. The new and improved Facebook will include tabbed browsing as well as some other streamlining features. To facilitate the cleanup effort, Facebook has tapped more than 85,000 users from whom it will gather feedback as it proposes new changes.

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People Seek Networks: Community Is Not a New Phenomenon

While online social networking platforms might make social connectivity easier to track, see, organize, and archive, the basic structure of human social networking is hundreds of years old. A team of French researchers has been perusing medieval documents to prove just that, sketching out the intricate social connections that existed between peasants and lords and drawing connections -- some of which moved between a total of ten distinct villages. According to the researchers, the connections are very similar to the online networks tracked by platforms such as Facebook and MySpace.

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New in the WOMMA Member Center

We are constantly adding valuable word of mouth marketing whitepapers, research studies, essays, opinion papers, and other content to WOMMA's member center. These are just a few of the NEW items you'll find there:

>> Mr. Youth: Five Rules to Creating a New Breed of Customer
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This whitepaper from WOMMA member company Mr. Youth suggests a framework for understanding the mindset and expectations of a newly defined consumer: Customer 2.0. While obvious to some, these rules help marketers navigate the radical shift in consumer behavior that has taken place in recent years.

>> Case Study: How Zune Morphed Into a Haven for Artists on the Rise
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Take a look at this case study from WOMMA member company Microsoft. Multiple perspectives detail what Microsoft used new media and word of mouth marketing techniques to launch Zune into the hands of enthusiastic users. Peruse articles from Advertising Age and BrandWeek as well as a synopsis from Feed Co.

>> Finding the "Missing Link": Advertising's Impact on WOM, Web Searches & Site Visits
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This article by Jeffrey Graham of The New York Times, originally published in The Journal of Advertising Research, was referenced in Graham's Word of Mouth Marketing University presentation last week in Miami. This article talks about the gap between marketers' big talk about the power of WOMM and their big spending on traditional media. It specifically addresses advertising's impact on positive word of mouth.

WOMMA members, log in to the WOMMA Member Center to download your own copy:
http://womma.leveragesoftware.com/blog_view.aspx?CustomerID=memberlibrary

WOMMA Member News for Today

News by, about, and for WOMMA members:

* New Content: Check Out the Latest WOMMA Podcast >> Tune in and hear CIC IWOM China Founder and CEO Sam Flemming delve into the online world in China. The online population in China has recently lurched ahead of the U.S. internet population, offering a wealth of opportunity for companies looking to use online WOM in the country -- specifically for data mining purposes. Find out the latest trends in the socialized world of online China and hear how one brand, Pepsi, tapped into the online WOM and used what they found to create a successful campaign.

Download and listen to WOMMA Podcast Episode #002 now: http://www.womma.org/events/podcast/

* Dr. Walter Carl of WOMMA member company ChatThreads recently published an article, titled "The Role of Disclosure in Organized Word-of-Mouth Marketing Programs," in the Journal of Marketing Communications. To find out more, you can visit Walter's blog at: http://wom-study.blogspot.com/2008/05/new-academic-research-on-wom-role-of.html.

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.