I apologize that I can’t remember where I read this quote earlier this week–
…I believe that it was on a blog post somewhere (so if you know, tell me and I’ll make it right). And it went something like: “Word of mouth marketing isn’t cheap. It’s cheaper.”
What a beautiful set of words. It’s something that I find myself explaining more and more frequently. I don’t know if it’s because there’s a perception that WOMM is an intangible (which it’s not) or that you can’t track the ROI (which you can). Or maybe because it’s still this hazy subject for a lot of marketers and, in all honesty, there are still a lot of unknowns.
Everyday there is more and more evidence documented that word of mouth marketing …. done the right way, mind you – is effective. And effective is worth paying for, eh? So while a WOMM plan MIGHT BE LESS expensive than that double-truck gatefold buyout for twelve months, it’s not necessarily going to be cheap. Because, in all reality, engaging in an open, honest conversation with your customers is a whole lot more work.
(Hey, it’s my first post at the DailyFix! Thanks for the invite and know that I’m honored to be associated with some great thinkers.)
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So true Spike. I worked at Starbucks during their ’90s growth spurt. The marketing strategy then and now centers on word of mouth (WOM) through education and customer experience. The decision to go this way was visionary then. But it went hand in hand with the commitment to spend little on advertising. Why? Because WOM costs real marketing dollars. It isn’t cheap.
Thanks for the validation, Lewis. Starbucks is a perfect example of doing WOM well while building a culture – and not scrimping on the $$. And my oh my, how it’s paid off.
“Because, in all reality, engaging in an open, honest conversation with your customers is a whole lot more work.”
Bingo, and unfortunately, many companies are just too lazy to put forth the effort required.
BTW, welcome aboard!