getting hits from buzz marketing

8/3/2019 Getting Hits From Buzz Marketing

1/16

1 1 1 1 fI I , i l l : !1 'I !, I : I I

1 1 ' 1I.,' I : ,1 " 1 ' 1' I1

"1 ' ,I iI' ,,' I'!II' I

I ~ , ' ! "'I "'II,', I' 1 , 1

r' , . , , : ' 'I' I" I~ . I

1 , 1 1 ,~I II ' i "' : ' : ' I '"1I" " !I , l " ,I ', I I 'Ii ,I II, d'I';' I1 1

,1 ,"I '1 '1 I"1 [ ' 1I 1 1 '

1 , " 1f i l l ! ' ;l ilillI I'1 " ' 1 . ",' I" ' I ': j ! 'I' ,I

C h a p t e r 1 8e t t i n g H i t s f r o m B u z z M a r k e t i n g

a n d V i r a l M a r k e t i n gs C h ap te r

derstanding buzz and viral marketingnerating more leads with buzz marketingntlfylng brand evangelists and terroristsveraging the Web and e-mail for maximum buzzasuring and tracking buzz

eeting the legends of buzzi (\ C > (l r/ f ~ l , t ( I ! " I. I> r ( c,; (.I 0 iii ~ tI c; . t" I) o {:,

,I

~ ';,'I! IU i, ~I, , : I 'II'i :, 'I ,

M ost marketing ef,forts are carefully calculated Pitches" chor,eogra,phedby professionals to convey a specific message to a target audience,and it's obvious. Buzz marketing, art the other hand, is just as carefully calcu-lated but it doesn't appear to be so. It's a combination of creative grassrootstactics and creative PR stunts that capture the attention of consumers andthe media who then begin to talk or spread the word about your company ina way that is entertaining, fascinating, and newsworthy. -In this chapter,' you find out what makes buzz marketing so effective, the fourelements of buzz marketing, how to determine the right moment for buzz,plus eight things you can do right now to get the buzz going.

e rs tan d in fJ th e D iffe ren ce b etw e enMa rke tin fJ an d (J ira ( M a rke tin fJBuzz marketing is the overall volume of noise about a product or service andit includes all sorts of tools, such as viral marketing, word of mouth, presscoverage and more.


2/16

I',I

i /.I'

l i ' l' I ' .,I,,I, ,I,'

', ',II , :I,

P art V : C re a tin g B u zz _

Viral marketing, an element of buzz, is restricted mainly to the online sp.because that's where things are easily passed around, whether they be ve-mail messages with jokes or links to Web sites, photos, or JPEG files ofstatic images or video clips. .For a brand, one of the most successful viral marketing campaigns has bBurger King's Subservient Chicken. To promote a new chicken product hcompany known for beef, their ad agency, Crispin Porter, created an irre-ent Web site where people could go and give commands to the chicken ...link to the Web site was sent to 1,000 people as a test and it immediatelymushroomed into millions of hits to that site.Humor is one of the staples of viral marketing, hut if you decide to do it fyour company, be aware that you're asking someone to send something Isomeone he knows. Therefore, whatever that person sends is a rellectiorhimself. The question to ask is, "Would you pass this on to somebody?"If you create a video clip for viewers to watch, pass it as a link rather thaactual clip via e-mail, and keep it short. Two to three minutes is the maximum; shorter than that is even better.

Examin in9 th e Effect i f lenesso f Buz z Market intJWhat makes buzz marketing so effective? It's trust - or lack of trust, actiYou see, trust is eroding in both traditional and emerging forms of markeHave you noticed that self-promotion is often preceded by the word shamless? It's because people just don't believe what companies say aboutthemselves anymore.Meanwhile, people do believe what others say about those same cornparThose others include the people in the media, beloved experts and celebties, as well as friends and family - in other words, other consumers. Thbeauty and the essence of buzz marketing, when done correctly, is that itputs people you know (or at least people you feel you know) at the centeof the equation.For example, according to the Travel Industry Association, friends and retives are the number-one source for information about places to visit, f1i~hotels, or rental cars, A survey in Self magazine found that 63 percent ofwomen cited "friend, family, or co-worker referral" as one of the factors


3/16

_ ___ C hap te r 18 : G e tt in g H its from B u zz M a rke tin g and V ira l M a rke tin g

influencing their over-the-counter drug purchases. The high-value impactof buzz is verified over and over in survey after survey, whether it's the 53percent of moviegoers who rely to some extent on a recommendation fromsomeone they know or the 70 percent of Americans who rely on the advice ofothers when selecting a new doctor, or your own experience of polling familyand friends when considering something new.

on in fJ U p on Bas ic B uzz TechniquesBuzz marketing is a new and different animal in the PR arena. It will evolvebecause PR practitioners are beginning to recognize the value of buzz. Inthis section, I give you some background on buzz before I tell you how tostart your own buzz, when to do it, and what the advantages are,

E du ca tin tJ p eo p le a b o u t lJ o u rp ro du cts an d se rf/icesIn order for the media and other people to get a buzz going about your com-pany, you must give them the information they need to spread the word, andyou have to provide it in a format that is easy to digest and easy to under-stand. If they don't know enough about your company, they can't spread theword about it. That's why you need to put the information into the hands ofthe media. Educate by using the tried-and-true PR materials- available (espe-cially press releases), but because buzz is less formal, don't hesitate to pro-vide samples, put on seminars, or even take reporters to lunch.

I d e n t i f l J i n t J people m o s t l i k e / vto sh are th eir o p in io n sTo get the buzz going, you must focus your attention on the "opinion leaders"or "hubs" in the world of your market. There 'are four kinds of hubs and thecommon denominator among them is that people listen to them.R elJ u(a r h ub sRegular hubs are folks who serve as sources of information and influence in acertain world or market. The people they connect with trust them and listento what they say, For example, Prostate Net, a prostate cancer advocacy

I ' ;"'j,.!~'I!,


4/16

til.Jv rail v. ",n:iumy DUZZgroup, enlisted barbers to spread the word about free cancer screenings tcthe most-at-risk group: African American men. Identify the person(s) orgroup(s) that your market trusts.Unlike big-time experts and celebrities, regular hubs are easiest to reach atto develop relationships with, so here are a few traits to look for when trylrto identify regular hubs in your area:yd People who are connected: Their job or position requires that theycome into contact with a lot of people. They're good networkers andthey create links between their local network and the outside world.vPeople who are ahead in adoption: Though not necessarily the first tcadopt a new technology or idea, they're open to them." People who are information-hungry: They read everything, especiallymaterial that will help them do their jobs better.yd People who are vocal: They write, they speak, they're out there. Theyneed content. They have a blog or a newsletter (or both) in which yourproduct or service could be featured.

Exper t h ub sExpert hubs are folks who go beyond making recommendations. They'reexperts and specialists on a particular topic, and people listen to thembecause of their expertise and credentials. For example, Michael McLaughlinis an author and expert on the consulting industry. Thousands read his regu-lar e-mail newsletter, Management Consulting News, which makes him anexpert hub on management consulting. Identify the person in your industrywho functions as a respected expert. (You don't need to know these peoplepersonally.)Social hubsSocial hubs are people who are charismatic, socially active, and trustedby their peers. Orie example is Lois Weisberg, one-time commissioner ofChicago's Department of Cultural Affairs, who's been described as "the typeof person who seems to know everybody." In a small town or neighborhood,a social hub-type person is often symbolically referred to as "the mayor" ofhis or her social group, community, or area of interest. Identify people you'reaware of who fit this description.Me 9a hu bsThe media, celebrities, politicians, and other really big names make up themega hubs. These people stand out because they're connected to millionsof people. Obvious examples are Oprah Winfrey or Dr. Phil. Of course, the


5/16

_ _ _ C hap te r 18 : G ett in g H its from B uzz M a rke tin g and V ira l M a rke tin g

attention of mega hubs is the hardest to get, but ifyou succeed, the buzz willkeep on coming. But keep in mind that "mega" is relative. Think about peopleyou know of who would be considered "mega" in the market 'of your cus-tomers. For example, Michael Masterson is the publisher of Early To Rise, adaily e-mail newsletter that goes to more than 400,000 people. His readersrespond almost religiously to his recommendations. Identify whose blessingwould translate into gold for you.

P r o f / i d i n e ) to o ls th a t m ake ite a s ie r to sh are in fo rm a tio nAfter you've identified the hubs or media outlets in the best position to reachyour customers (see the "Identifying people most likely to share their opin-ions" section, earlier in this chapter) and then educated them about yourproduct or service (see the "Educating people about your products and serv-ices" section, earlier in this chapter), you must make sure that they have whatthey need to spread the word. Create entertaining 01' informative messagesdesigned for passing along in an exponential fashion, often bye-mail or otherelectronic forms (instant messaging or via their cell phone). But it doesn'thave to be electronic. For example, a family-owned florist based in Chicago,recently put on a stunt that was picked up by local media. On a busy street,they gave out bouquets containing five roses to curious onlookers. Each bou-quet came with a printed coupon that read: "Share the love!" and asked thateach rose be shared with five 'other people to "make new friends and sharegoodwill to neighbors."

S tu dlJ in t) h ow , " ,h ere , a n d w h eno pin io ns a re h e i n e ) s h a r e dTracking the buzz after it's going is important, and you can do this easily onthe Internet. One way to track what people are saying about your company isto set a Google Alert or Yahoo! Alert for news on your company. The alertsmake monitoring a developing news story or keeping current on a competitoror on your industry very easy. Just go to www.google.com/alerts orhttp:// alerts. yahoo. comand type into the field the word or phraseyou'd like to track. They'll send you an e-mail every time that word or phrasehits the news.Yahoo! also offers a free service called the Buzz Index, which proposes tomeasure public engagement with brands, products, people, technologies,

251: .1. j1 , : 1

0 1 . ' 1

I II '.

, I i I - I I
http://www.google.com/alertshttp://www.google.com/alerts


6/16

,iI ,'i'

IIIIII

i< ,

I

252 Pa r t v : C re a tin g B u zz _and broad concepts. They tabulate buzz by counting the number of peoplesearching for a topic on a given day, dividing by the number of users vlsitin:Yahoo! that day, and multiplying by a constant factor. This can give you agood idea of interest in your brand (and your competitor's brands), the effetiveness of your buzz marketing campaign, as well as broad cultural trends.You can find out more at http://buzz .yahoo. com,

Lis t en in9 a n d re sp on din 9 tos u p p o r t e r s a n d d e tra c to rsIf you do it right, most of the buzz you receive will be positive. But becauseit's a medium that you can't control (the way you can with advertising), SOIlof the buzz may be negative, What you can control, however, is how yourespond. So, as you keep track of the buzz, listen closely to what is being sa:and respond quickly and personally to all those who require a response.Listen and respond to both positive and negative conversations. The bestmethods to use when responding to feedback are the most personal. Forexample, send a personalized letter from the president of your companyaddressing the issues. Sometimes even a phone call is in order, when theissue is delicate and you want to make sure the person knows that it is belmtaken seriously. This small effort can go a long way in this culture of pseudopersonalized responses and autoresponders. You should also have a toll-fretnumber available as an option for feedback with a real person on the line.

IJe te rm in in fJ the R ifJh t M om en t fo r B uzzTiming is everything, especially when it comes to buzz. It has to be spread athe right time in order for someone to act on it. So think about when themarket or the specific hubs you want to approach are most likely to talk. Anthey most likely to talk:

."

Y' When something related has happened in the world?~ When they first hear about your company?~ During a particular season?~ When they receive a surprise from you?

If, at these moments, you can capture their attention and provide tools thatmake it easy for them to spread the word, they are more likely to do so.


7/16

_ ___ _ C hap te r 18 : G e ttin g H its from B u zz M a rke t in g an d V ira l M a rke t in g

For example, election seasons are perfect opportunities to capitalize onwhat's happening in the world. During a recent 2004 election season,Domino's Pizza piggybacked onwhat they knew would be a big story: voterregistration. They got a lot of press by simply delivering voter registrationforms with every pizza.Certain techniques are considered unethical by the PR industry. Be aware ofthem and take care not to engage in any of these techniques:v Impersonating people or hiding your identityvDeceiving people or hiding your involvement in a PR effortI vVandalizing or damaging property as part of your product promotion

IVManipulating or corrupting honest opinions.vSpamming (sending bulk or unsolicited e-mail or other messages withoutclear, voluntary permission)

Generatin fJ Mo re E xp osu rew ith B uzz M arketin fJThis section will give you tips and techniques to get more people talkingabout you, your product, or your company. It will also let you know who to goto, how to identify them and the best way to create favorable conversation.Certain qualities that a product or service has make it more conducive tobuzz. You don't have to have any or all the following qualities, but if you canhighlight them or add them, you'll find it easier to get buzz:

"" Excitement: People talk when they're excited, especially in the earlystages of using a product or service. For example, the iPod has garneredtremendous buzz since itwas introduced because it's changing the waywe listen to music (and other things), so that makes it exciting.Excitement is subjective, of course, and if you're developing a new prod-uct, you're probably excited about it for your own reasons. But I'm talk-ing about excitement of your customers here, not your own excitement.What often makes a product exciting is that it's new and never seenbefore, or that it provides a new spin on something old.That's not to say that everything new is necessarily exciting. During theInternet heyday, everything was new and everyone was convinced theywere creating a revolution. But if your product or service truly has the

2 5 3I iI

, ,I'


8/16

'jI I

"~ I," j}

!"I I! II I'1 \"!i

J!i l1 1'I

,

2 5 4 Par t v : C rea tin g B u zz _potential to change the way we do something - listen.to music, read,take in information, and so on - it could be considered exciting. Yournew, improved cheese grater may be better than any other on themarket, but it's unlikely to revolutionize the way we cook.

yI Complexity: Complexity is a double-edged sword. Make it too complexand no one talks about it because they can't figure it out. But if you givethem a forum to talk, especially a place where both prospects and cur-rent customers can exchange lnforrnatlon, buzz flows naturally. Forexample, some speech-recognitlon software is complex and challenging,but if the manufacturer provides a forum for users to chat and help eachother, it's more likely to create buzz. 'yst Personal experience: People talk about things they've personally expe-rienced (such as hotels, airlines, or books).yst Expensiveness: People talk to reinforce that they made the right deci-sion in purchasing an expensive product or service because it was morethan worth the cost in satisfaction and social acceptance.,_",Observable: People talk about what they can see and show. The latest cellphone or the iPod are the perfect examples here, too, because they'reproducts that are small enough to carry around and they're very visibleso people can observe them, as opposed to a software application youlove that lives on your computer but you can't show to anyone. The appli-

cation will naturally create less buzz than the gadget.Looking at the unique qualities of your product or service is where you canget creative and think about what would surprise people, what would delightthem, and what would make your customers and prospects stop a secondand say, "Wow"that's cool. I need to tell everyone about that." It could be assimple as sending chocolate and a gift card in the mail as a follow-up. BobBly, direct-mail copywriter (and co-author of this book), regularly sends acopy of one of his many books to prospects when they're considering hiringhim. The gift makes a huge impression, mostly because it's a surprise butalso because the timing is perfect.Having a good story helps, too. LaserMonks (www.lasermonks.com) is anoffice-supply company run by, you guessed it, monks (in Sparta, Wisconsin).There's nothing unique about the product - printer cartridges, for now-but they have capitalized on their unique and charming story to createstrong word of mouth and get a lot of PR, too. (You can read their story ontheir Web site.) In addition, the experience they provide to the customer isworth talking about: The monks pray for all their customers, handwrittenthank-you notes are sometimes slipped into shipments, and when callers areput on hold, they hear a Gregorian chant. So far the strategy has paid off -satisfied customers have been te1ling friends and colleagues, and the mediahas picked up the story and spread it even farther.


9/16

__ __ _ C hap te r 18: G e tt in g H its from B uzz M a rke tin g and V ira l M a rke tin g 255Id en tiflJ in fj B rand EeJanfje iis tsand Terror is ts

You ought to know who's putting effort into liking your company andnot liking your company. Both groups need to be courted with accurateinformation.

Takin tJ adrlanttlt)e o f e rla nfJ etis tsBrand evangelists are people who love your brand and your company. Theybelieve most strongly in the strength and superiority of your product or serv-ice. They provide those third-party endorsements that everyone believes,and they're as good as (and sometimes better than) a press clipping.But who are they? Youmay not have to look too far to find them; simplynotice who's excited about your business. They may be your customers oreven your employees. You'll know them because they communicate the mostwith you and about you. They saIl you on your cell phone. They call youroffices. They send you e-mail messages. They refer their friends and familyto you or your company. They may even sometimes annoy you but don't beannoyed. These are your best advocates.After you've identified the evangelists, make sure they have access to anyinformation they want or need so they can spread the word. Here's how:

V Provide recognition - awards, certificates, gift cards - to say thankyou. Offer visibility or "15 minutes of fame" by featuring these evange-lists in your marketing.vProvide tools - your business cards, brochures, and other information-to make it easier for them to spread the word.vRecruit new advocates, educate them about the benefits of your prod-ucts, and encourage them to talk.

For example, Paul Holmes is an evangelist for the PR industry. He writes aweekly newsletter, writes a column in the trade publication PR Week, andhosts an awards program that matters to the industry. If he used my agencyas an example, it would create buzz for us and, therefore, bring business ourway. So we make sure he has accurate, factual information about us and wekeep him in the loop on what we're doing and what we've accomplished.


10/16

I Ii "

! I:

\.

256 Par t v : C rea tin g B u zz _Abrand evangelist is somebody who is enthusiastic about a brand and hasthe means and the wherewithal to spread the word. One good example isSpike Lee, whose love and passion for the New York Knicks is highly visible,influential, and a wonderful association for the Knicks. His enthusiasm is CO)tagious. People look for what he says about the Knicks and that gets the fan:buzzing. Plus, his towel-waving antics at playoff games in the late '80s almosbecame part of the game. He got the whole stadium waving towels and mayleven brought the Knicks as close to a championship as they've been sincethe early '70s. That's a successful brand evangelist. You can't pay for thatkind of coverage.Ga the ri nlJ and u s in lJ te stimon ia lsTestimonials are quotations from clients who are raving, in their own words,about how great you and your company are and how much you've helpedthem. That's what makes testimonials so credible. But getting testimonialstakes some effort. You must make it easy for your clients to provide them.Here's how:

" Listen. Keep your ear tuned for comments from happy customers, andthen capture those comments on paper and ask, "Doyou mind if I usethis as a testimonial?" You should always get permission to use testimonials, and a formal signed permission form, if possible. But written per-mission via e-mail is often easier to get and is sufficient. Always, alwaysthank them for it. Go even farther and give them something special -a gift or exclusive access to information - for taking the time to sharetheir opinion.

vGive a model. The ideal testimonial provides concrete results or returron investment that anyone reading it can also expect to achieve. It olte:also describes the situation the person or company found themselves 1 :so that others can 'relate to it. Give customers a model for a testimonialso they don't have to start from a blank page, and a list of questions tostimulate their thoughts.Here's an example:When I began the Marketing Mentor Program, I had no previous experi-ence in marketing. Today, as a result of our work together, I have beenable to get more than 30 meetings with prospective clients for our com-pany. I have also been responsible for bringing In 11 new projects.Here are some questions you can ask your clients to stimulate this typeof testimonial:

What do you like best about [fill in the blank]?


11/16

_ _ _ _ C hap ter 1 8 : G ettin g H its from BUp : M a rketin g an d V ira l M a rk etin go How has [fill in the blank] helped you or your business achieve itsgoals?Q What concrete results can you point to after working with [fill inthe blank]?

~ Create one for approval. If your customer wants to give a testimonial toyou, but she simply can't find the time to focus on it, you can also writea testimonial and have her simply approve it.Some people believe that more is better when it comes to testimonials, thatquantity is the key to their effectiveness. So there's no reason to retire of anyof them, even if they've been around a while, as long as they're still relevant.Whatever strategy you choose, make asking for testimonials a standard partof your evaluation process at the end of a sale, project, or process.

-,Compliments can sometimes prevent you from getting a much more usefultestimonial because you may,be so flattered that you forget to probe furtherto find out what exactly affected your clients and customers. When someoneoffers a compliment, don't stop at "thank you." Ask what they mean, whatthey liked, what specifically had the strongest impact on them. Then piggy-back on the positive by asking for suggestions', improvements, and anythingyou can do to improve your current offerings.Gh/int j them a tasteYou can get a tremendous amount of marketing and PR mileage from a gener-ous sampling program, because allowing people to experience your productor service makes it easier for them to spread the buzz. This is even true forthose who sample but don't buy. You never know who they'll talk to,If you're marketing intangible services or talents, your "sample" can be any ofthe following:

v : : r A free consultationV" A presentationV" Tips and tricks or white papersp r : > 1 A free critiqueV" A promotional item with an image of your artwork~. A demo reelvr A few ideas provided on spec

257" I i1 'lf' "I


12/16

--'258 P art V : C rea tin g B u zz '-- _

Creatin fJ and suppo rtin fJ c ommun itie sCommunities create a sense of belonging, which makes it easier for youradvocates to connect with others like them. There are simple and inexpen-sive ways to do this with technology. Here are a few ways to create a commu-nity around your product or services:""'"Create user groups and fan clubs. Then bring in your best customers orfans to brainstorm ideas. If you have the budget for it, the best strategyis to organize a meeting where you fly them to your headquarters andhost a daylong session, treating them like royalty and showing your grat-itude for their efforts. (Thls alone can create its own buzz.) You can find

out a lot from them, and they'll no doubt be excited to help out. If thatapproach isn't financially feasible: you can coordinate a virtual confer-ence and give them special access via phone and Web. Also, be sure tolet them know when one of their ideas is used - yet another good buzzstimulator.""'"Support independent groups that form around your product. Enablegrassroots organization such as local meetings and other face-to-faceparticipation (more about this in Chapter 17).vHost discussions and message boards about your products.

Deat in9 w ith b rand terroristsrOn the other side of the equation are the brand terrorists. These are peoplewho spread rumors and urban myths like wildfire. Anyone can be a brand ter-rorist. They could be your competition 01; a disgruntled customer. Or some-times they're simply unhappy customers whose complaints get swept underthe rug and go unaddressed. They spread the word - but not the word youwant them to spread.

One of the weapons in their arsenal is anti-corporation Web sites. These aresites that are created by people who have something to say about your com-pany and, without your permission, post a Web site outlining their ideas,charges, accusations, and so on.If brand terrorism were done in simple press releases, it wouldn't be such abig deal. But now, thanks to the Internet, it can be created and posted andavailable for everyone to see. Put that together with viral marketing, and youhave a dangerous situation. You can't let this happen, which is why monitor-ing the Internet for such campaigns is essential - that way, you can find outabout it as soon as possible. When someone is making false statements oraccusations, they must be corrected.


13/16

_ __ _ C hap te r 18: G e ttin g H its from B uzz M a rl(e tin g an d V ira l M a rke tin g 259What you have to do is respond to their pointed criticisms with your accu-rate information. If they claim that your product has 82 percent fat, you.respond with the accurate information, plus complete background on yourstatistics. Engage them in an open conversation. They shouldn't feel rejectedjust because they have a negative point of view. The approach to brand ter-rorists should be: "Weappreciate your constructive criticism. We'd like tohear it and we will address it."

th e W eb a n d E-Mai l ,o r M a ximum Buz zOne sure way to get the buzz going is to recruit celebrities to use or wearyour product or somehow associate themselves with your company, Millionsand millions of people look at celebrities every day. They're big influencers.Samantha Slaven Public Relations specializes in generating this type of buzzfor her clients, many of whom are companies that make and sell women'sfashion and accessories. One of the main PR strategies she uses to generatebuzz is to get celebrlties to wear and/or carry the clients' items and then getthe clients exposure in the press based on these celebrity "fans." And shedoes this mostly via e-mail.After Slaven and her clients have selected the items they want to focus on forthe season, they send out an e-mail blast to the top celebrity publicists witha JPEGphoto of the item, a fun description, and an invitation for them toreceive complimentary samples for their clients in the size and color of theirchoice. Sometimes they offer these items to the publicists as well.Then they capture a photo of the celebrity wearing the item and e-mail it toall relevant fashion/accessory editors at the weeklies, celebrity-orientedmedia, and top fashion and women's magazines, naming the piece the "Tt'item of the season!" This strategy usually results in several press hits, or atleast ups the buzz factor of the client in the editors' minds.Stunts are another way to generate buzz because they can generate continualpress coverage. In the late '90s, I worked with Ken Hakuta (of Wacky WallWalker fame), who started an Internet site called AlIHerb.com, which wasbasically another me-too vitamin site.AliHerb.com sought to differentiate itself by positioning itself as "the mostauthentic resource for herbal medicine available today." So we hired anunusual.and captivating spokesman - a shaman, tribal healer and herbalist

, '

,It lI , ' lI,I'1

1 ,1

I ! ! . II ' ,


14/16

260 Par t v : C rea tin g B u zz _from the Amazon rain forest of Peru - to share his ancient wisdom and inter-act with visitors at the site. We gave him a computer and he answered e-mailfrom people all over. As you can imagine, this created an enormous amountof buzz about the e-commerce site, not to mention the traffic it drove to thesite.For a store opening, for example, you have to get the whole town talking andthis won't be done with a simple press release. Ideally, you want your com-pany or product or service to become part of pop American culture - at leastuntil the next trend takes over. In 2003, a guy who went by the name of "Bill"started a phenomenon called "flash mobs," which were essentially perfor-mance art projects involving large groups of people who had been mobilizedbye-mail. Billwould spread his message to thousands of people through viralmarketing about where to meet and what to do.At the appointed time andplace, a mob would suddenly materialize in a public place, follow the instruc-tions, and then disappear. On one evening in Manhattan, for example, 500people fell to their knees in the Times Square Toys RUs before the store's to-scale Tyranosaurus rex for 10minutes. This not only got the whole town talk-ing, but also got a lot of media coverage.

Measur in9 and T rack in fJ Buz zThe truth is, buzz is very hard - if not impossible - to measure. Agencieslike Lime PR and Promo Agency, which specializes in generating buzz andonline press, create ads just for viral marketing. They start the process andtrack it wherever it goes. There are all sorts of "buzz-meters" that claim tomeasure buzz by, for example, searching for the popularity of certain wordsand brands in selected blogs over time.But even companies that consciously do buzz marketing don't necessarilyknow how buzz works. Word of mouth is hard to track or measure. After all,most conversations are private and ephemeral. Nobody keeps a record.You can measure buzz in a few ways:

" Sales: The most obvious measure is an increase in sales. It probably hassomething to do with the buzz you've generated.", Impressions: If you're using viral marketing techniques, you can mea-sure the number of hits to a Web site or click-throughs on a link inane-mail message. Plus, things that are hot get picked up by blogs, maga-zines, and Web sites, so your press coverage will increase if you get thebuzz going.


15/16

____ C hapte r 18: Ge tt in g H its from B u zz M a rke tin g and V ira l M a rke tin g 261yd Word of mouth: This is more difficult to measure than sales or impres-sions, but you can do research after an event or stunt to find out howattendees heard about it. If there is an online component to your cam-

paign, you can ask that question before granting access to a Web site.

th e L efJendso f Bu z zExamining how the legends of buzz used it to their advantage may furtherinspire your own efforts. Check out their stories:

JP P . T . B arn um : Ofthe legendary Barnum &Bailey Circus, P.T . Barnumwas one of the originators of public relations. In every city the circusplayed, Barnum would march his elephants through the town in whatcame to be known as the Pachyderm Parade. This created a ruckus inthe town, generating lots of press and getting the buzz going about .theevent - before people even knew itas buzz. ivHotmail: Amore recent but already classic viral marketing legend isHotmail, one of the original free, Web-based email services. Withoutspending a cent on advertising, Hotmail went from zero subscribers attheir launch on Independence Day 1996 (they tied into that holiday onthe idea that the e-mail service was independent of a user's computer)to 12million subscribers in only 18 months.

Here's how: At the bottom of every free message any user of the servicesent, was added this simple tag: "Get your private, free e-mail athttp://www.hotmail.com ."As users used the service to correspond with their network of friendsand associates, everyone who received a message also had a chance tosign themselves up for the free - and that's an important element ofthis successful campaign - service. It quickly rippled across theInternet.Why did itwork so well? Besides the fact that the timing of their servicewas impeccable, their viral marketing tool was built in. It required noadditional effort or vehicle to spread the word. Plus, itwas a very simplemessage, making -i t supremely simple to spread.

vShel Horowitz: Buzzmarketing works especially well in local communi-ties, where momentum can be gathered quickly over the short distance.Shel Horowitz, copywriter and consultant, used buzz to save a mountainin his local community. .

, II ~

. I', !

I"

'I"

I :I,
http://www.hotmail.com/http://www.hotmail.com/


16/16

262 Par t v : C rea tin g B u zz _In November 1999,a local developer announced a plan to build 40 trophyhomes abutting Skinner State Park in Massachusetts. Local conservation-ists expressed variations on "Oh, this is terrible, but there's nothing wecan do." Horowitz said; "Oh, yes, there is something we can do!"The article about the developer appeared on a Friday night. By Tuesday,Horowitz had drawn up a petition, posted a Web page, called a meetingfor two weeks later, and sent out press releases and flyers about the for-mation of "Save the Mountain."He expected 20 or so people at the first meeting; he had over 70!Overthe course of a year, 35 local activists fought the project on every con-ceivable level, harnessing the outrage felt throughout the valley andusing PR and buzz marketing to turn that outrage into a powerful -and highly visible - public force. .And they did make a difference. Within two months of starting the cam-paign, they had established themselves firmly in the public eye as a can- .do organization. The discourse shifted from "There's nothing we can do';to "Which of the dozens of ways to pursue this will be most effective instopping this development?" Collectively, they used their powers of per-suasion and skills at reaching the public with a strong message to blockthe project.In the end, a wealthy benefactor stepped forward, publicly stated thatshe was inspired by the group's efforts, and wrote the state a check tobuy and preserve the land. The state took title in December 2000.

getting hits from buzz marketing

Documents