Small Talk

August 25, 2010 »

The Word of Mouth Myth Revealed

Today over lunch, a few of us were eating Chinese food and talking about PCs, Apple computers, and a host of technological innovations that have emerged over the past few years.  It dawned on me that just a few years ago, we couldn’t have even had this conversation since none of this stuff had been invented – iPads, downloadable apps, Facebook updates, and a ton of other useful gadgets!  We were all gushing with enthusiasm for how cool our world has become, and how the way we interact with technology – and with each other – is really changing.

Our conversation moved on to brands we like and products we use, and without realizing it, we were influencing each other about the products we like most, and wanted others to try – truly, authentic word of mouth at its core: in-person, over lunch, and occurring spontaneously.

Today the folks at HubSpot issued a new e-book called Digital Word of Mouth, and it’s a quick and easy read.  You can download a copy and find out some great statistics about the growth of the WOM market, and the digital trends that are shaping a lot of the online communications.  They reference good sources like Edelman’s Trust Barometer as well as some data from our friends over at BzzAgent, too.

When you read through this brief book, it’s easy to start thinking that all WOM must be an exclusively online phenomenon, with sites like Facebook and Yelp and Foursquare dominating the media headlines.  In fact, many of our clients used to think that WOM was all online – that they would just put an ad up on YouTube and somehow it would magically and virally spread.  Not so fast.

At the risk of sounding old school, I continue to promote the reality that most WOM in fact happens face-to-face.  Our aggregate data from a range of programs that hit a variety of target demographics show that upwards of 90% of conversations about healthcare are happening offline.  Ninety percent! And our data is completely in line with Keller Fay’s data around the same topic.

Of course, we realize that people use the web extensively, and do turn to social networks for further validation and exploration of the topics they discuss – but it’s in those intimate moments when people connect with each other where the dialogue occurs about brands, about choices and about preferences. 

I was humbled today when I read a comment related to our recent South by Southwest proposal to discuss why consumers feel compelled to talk about drugs.  Kathy Kastner wrote in and said, “This speaks directly to my experiences: every group get-together (especially with my women friends) Rx is always hot topic and somehow or another everyone’s an SME (subject matter expert) ;) However much of an E they actually are—it’s my (our) community, and they’re always part of the participants decision-making process.”  Kathy’s comments certainly validate our business model, and it was great to read her post.  And we know there are plenty more “Kathy’s” out there with very similar experiences.

And so while it’s incredible to look out at the sea of technological innovation and marvel at how much easier it is to stay in touch with those long-lost friends of ours, let’s not forget that it’s those offline discussions that are happening every day – and influencing the choices people make.

Hmmmm ….. maybe we should write a book about that?!

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