Viral marketing has been all the rage in recent years: Companies are intoxicated with the idea of creating the next video that spreads across the Internet and becomes a viral sensation. But for every successful viral effort there are countless attempts that totally miss the mark. Here's where David Meerman Scott comes in. Scott understands why ideas spread in a Web 2.0 world, and he educates his clients on why the "old school" rules of PR and marketing are totally irrelevant in a time of content-sharing on YouTube and Twitter. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Today's technology offers ample opportunities to start conversations with and among customers, fans, foes, competitors, and the press—any person or group who cares to listen and, perhaps, act on the messages received. By some estimates, 85% of the information companies collect is not in a form that they can access or analyze—it is unstructured. The Gartner Group reports unstructured data doubles every three months while seven million web pages are published every day. This cacophony presents the one of the biggest challenges companies face today. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Do you know what your customers are saying about you? If not, you (and your brand!) are at a distinct disadvantage. Take the opportunity to participate in the blogosphere -- even if only on a small scale -- and you'll help shape your brand, rather than having it be shaped exclusively by your customers. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Anyone who has taken Marketing 101 knows the 4 Ps of Marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. But what you may not know is that some companies - including these four - are turning these Ps over completely to customers. (Graphic: David Armano.) [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

At a time when business and marketing strategy changes at the speed of light, and competitors, partners and customers have instant access to information, the days of the handler the publicist are numbered. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Paul has earned his keep over the past 20 years by building buzz for heavyweights like Google, IBM, and Microsoft. These days he's immersed himself in social media, which serves him well as the director of Global Field & Interactive Marketing for BearingPoint. In this one-on-one, he gives us the lowdown on how to use social media to kick-start your buzz marketing efforts. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

If you're responsible for the direction of the online strategies for your company or organization, you've probably been hearing buzz about Twitter, a next-generation instant messaging tool. Even if you're new to Twitter, this article will serve as a guide to educate you to help you make a decision, by linking to resources and providing a starting point for your strategy. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Driving sales is what B2B marketing is all about. Although the precise roles and responsibilities of Marketing may differ from company to company, your marching orders are the same: Help Sales produce more with less. All marketers want to know best practices and share experiences about driving sales. Here are 25 metrics you should select from to prove marketing drives sales... and to track progress. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

In today's ever-changing, increasingly interactive media world, marketers are captivated by a new business buzzword: "consumer-generated content." While word-of-mouth has always been powerful, consumer-accessible technology (the Internet, podcasting, video production, social networks, etc.) puts it on steroids. Success in this new world order requires marketers to develop a new perspective, a new skill set, and a new role in consumers' lives. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Consumers are beginning to take environmental impact into consideration in purchase decisions. Businesses that demonstrate environmental responsibility have the opportunity to contribute favorably to their images while aligning themselves with the preferences of their customers. To get the full value out of green practices over time, companies need to let the public know what they are doing and why it matters. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

As YouTube, Google and MySpace announce that video advertising will become a key driver in their future revenue strategies, the glitzy, anonymous ads we have been used to for years will have to change course. Ads need to be intriguing in some way; they need to urge us to watch them. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Does the hype of the iPhone equal runaway success? Is the game already won? Or will there be an equal and opposite reaction when possibility and excitement about the future gives way to reality, and inevitable issues arise with service, availability, bugs in functionality and unfulfilled expectations? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Some 80% of available jobs are never advertised, and over half of all employees obtain their jobs through networking. The most important component of a successful job search is your network, consisting of friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, teachers, and coworkers. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

How rare is it to see a senior marketer from any professional service firm—even one as prominent as BearingPoint—leading a series of cutting-edge conversations that do not appear to be directed at just his internal colleagues? We checked in with Paul Dunay and learned the extent to which he has intentionally begun to "do things differently" and how positively it has benefited BearingPoint. Here is his story. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Podcasts are an excellent way to share your latest findings and juiciest developments in a medium that's engaging, fun, and portable. If you're thinking about podcasting, here's the second installment of an insider's peek at the creation of a podcast series, complete with professional tips from a talented audio team. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Let's give it up for Unilever! This company has not made any false moves on the marketing-to-women front, and the "presenting" sponsorship for its Pond's brand is another smart strategy in a long line of savvy business decisions. With its sponsorship of "The Starter Wife," Pond's gets its name linked to the show in all online and offline media, plus product placement in the show, integrated marketing, and promotions—and most importantly, a new brand image. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

If you are flying from Los Angeles to Tokyo, you can learn how to say "how are you" in Japanese. The lesson is provided as part of the JAL in-flight entertainment in four language categories: numbers, dates, words, and dialogue. Other airlines also offer interactive audiovisual language programs, including Virgin Atlantic, Air France, and Singapore Airlines. It's all part of the trend toward brand engagement, one of the two great trends reshaping branding today and tossing such tired, 30-year-old theories like "positioning" to the dustbin of marketing history. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Sometimes the best laid plans go wrong because, in fact, they weren't the best laid plans. In this season of spring, when new life and fresh hope comes a-budding, author Jon Kranz offers a little... fertilizer. Herewith, a grumpy, glass-half-empty, downright surly look at all the ways marketers shoot themselves in the foot. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Now that YouTube is more popular than all the sites of the TV networks combined, some wonder whether broadcast TV's days are numbered. It may well become more important for your brand or company to be on YouTube than to be advertised on TV. Undoubtedly for some, that day has already arrived. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Who is a Citizen Marketer? The fan who creates his own poster and trailer for an upcoming movie is a Citizen Marketer. But a Citizen Marketer can also be the customer who creates an online community around saving a discontinued product, or the loyal customer who uses their bad customer service experience to bring about change within an organization. Above all else, Citizen Marketers are motivated by a sense of loyalty. The rise of social media tools has given citizen marketing its jumpstart into the business mainstream, and companies today must understand the what motivates their customers to make the transition to concerned Citizen Marketers, and who they are. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

A Web widget is a mini tool—a chunk of code that people can insert in just about any Web page to perform a specific function. Usually, Web widgets are snippets of HTML. Experienced Web developers may question the significance of Web widgets. For them, the concept of chunks of reusable HTML doesn't seem particularly revolutionary. However, for marketers, widgets have become very important. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Consumer-generated reviews. Blogging. MySpace. Viral marketing. There's no doubt about it, Web 2.0 is booming. And it's putting the power of the Web into the hands of individuals. At the same time, this shift in power is wreaking havoc with marketing plans. As marketers, we are not used to relinquishing control. But what marketers are now beginning to realize, however, is that this change also unearths a myriad opportunities. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Brand ambassadors are similar to brand evangelists in that they also have a vested interest in seeing their favorite brand succeed. It's not so much that they attempt to influence other customers to buy a product, but that they share their passion for a brand with their fellow customers. Whereas a company markets to customers in order to sell more products, brand ambassadors attempt to relay their passion for a brand to other customers. Here's how to design your brand ambassador program. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Ever read a book and wanted to discuss or debate it with fellow marketers? Now you can. Or ask the author a question? Now you can do that, too. Introducing the MarketingProfs Book Club. Offering a free-flow of ideas—and some free books—our Book Club keeps you ahead of the marketing curve and provides an arena to virtually meet some of the best minds in marketing. For our inaugural Book Club segment, we'll be reading 'Citizen Marketers,' the just-released, highly anticipated book by famed customer-evangelist team Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba. Here's the kickoff Q&A with the authors. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

In today's workforce, employees who are Spanish speakers give companies a competitive advantage. Smart companies do not put the cart before the horse: They build an infrastructure of Hispanic employees before advertising to Hispanic market segments. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Wacom's digital pens and their capabilities are well-known in the business world. To continue growing, however, the company needed to address the consumer market. Here's how it effectively reached a new fan community. [Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: Word-of-Mouth

Marketing executive and consultant Lewis Green wanted to re-establish his company in January 2004 after moving across the country. With no professional network in place, he figured the best way to promote his business would be a blog. His first attempt failed. But not his second.[Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: Word-of-Mouth

Atlanta management consultant Brent Leary launched a radio show in 2006 to help small and mid-sized businesses understand technology. It proved so popular that he evolved the show into a series of online podcasts, bringing new business and (ultimately) new revenue to his 15-year-old consulting business.[Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: Word-of-Mouth

Goodwill Industries receives generous donations of clothing, many in good shape and by popular brands, but is perceived as a purveyor of low-quality, outdated merchandise. With a social-media marketing campaign, the nonprofit was able to change that perception and connect with young professional women who buy vintage clothing.[Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: Word-of-Mouth

Let's face it, more small businesses fail than succeed. Make sure yours is one of the winners with this guide to getting your small business off the ground and solidly on the road to success. [Download] Marketing Downloads: Word-of-Mouth

Great product, great sales team, great marketing collateral - now what? People to sell to, of course. Put your lead generation tactics under the microscope with this enlightening how-to guide. Get more and better qualified leads, faster today. [Download] Marketing Downloads: Word-of-Mouth

Trade show marketing is a high-risk, high-reward endeavor. This Template provides a sytematic look at trade show marketing. It walks you through selection and promotion, to follow-up and measurement. This step-by-step guide will insure your trade show marketing is effective, efficient, measurable, and successful. [Download] Marketing Downloads: Word-of-Mouth

Format: MP3 Buzz Marketing? Viral Marketing? Word-of-Mouth Marketing? Customer Evangelism? Guess what? They really aren't all synonyms! Who knew? And each one can have a different purpose and place in your marketing strategy. We gathered together seven industry experts on Buzz Marketing and got them talking. Not only will you hear pretty clear definitions of Buzz Marketing and all its sisters and cousins, you'll also get good current examples of each (and one from 1936!), you'll also get practical and actionable advice on what you can do right now. So get buzzing. [Download] Marketing Downloads: Word-of-Mouth

Format: Downloadable transcript Buzz Marketing? Viral Marketing? Word-of-Mouth Marketing? Customer Evangelism? Guess what? They really aren't all synonyms! Who knew? And each one can have a different purpose and place in your marketing strategy. We gathered together seven industry experts on Buzz Marketing and got them talking. Not only will you hear pretty clear definitions of Buzz Marketing and all its sisters and cousins, you'll also get good current examples of each (and one from 1936!), you'll also get practical and actionable advice on what you can do right now. So purchase your Premium membership today and get buzzing. [Download] Marketing Downloads: Word-of-Mouth

While conducting a seminar workshop entitled "Old Media vs. New Media," Lewis Green's enthusiasm for the topic was palpable. And in a post at his blog, he says initial feedback was positive. A review of post-talk surveys, however, revealed that at least one audience member... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: Word-of-Mouth

When you start to see how effective word-of-mouth marketing can be, you might feel the temptation to juice it up in little ways. Maybe you notice that no one in your online forum seems to be chatting about your fantastic customer service—what's the harm in... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: Word-of-Mouth

When you work with the media, your first priority is probably figuring out what they can do for you. But Christina Kerley—widely known as CK—says the greater long-term payoff lies in flipping the equation around. She argues that concentrating on what a journalist gets out of the... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: Word-of-Mouth

If you've embraced Web 2.0, you're probably using Twitter, a networking service that broadcasts messages of up to 140 characters through a variety of channels. As with any new form of communication, the rules of etiquette and usage are still evolving. And blogger Tangerine Toad has... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: Word-of-Mouth

At his blog Damn! I Wish I'd Thought of That!, Andy Sernovitz discusses something unusual he noticed on the refrigerator at his office. A colleague had gone to the trouble of posting a commercial-services flyer from Lowe's with a coupon promising "$10 off your next $25... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: Word-of-Mouth