WOMMA Summit

So much of what word-of-mouth is all about seems to be rooted in a genuine desire to build marketing programs that reflect consumer efficacy. This sentiment was very evident at the WOMMA Summit in Chicago last week. One of the panelists, Jake McKee, aka Community Guy, recalls how debate over the merits of establishing WOM VP positions within marketing departments was quashed by Jim Nail (from Forrester). Instead, Nail proposes a new VP position for Customer Advocacy. Empowerment was one of several themes that kept popping up and inspiring the interesting mix of marketing, PR and corporate communications professionals in attendance.

Another theme that dominated discussions at the Summit centered on the feasibility of successful word-of-mouth marketing programs. Speakers such as Guy Kawasaki, Ben McConnel and Jackie Huba stressed the importance of having a remarkable product, a genuine and inherent quality that inspires and involves consumers. When you don’t have a remarkable product, the impact of source credibility will die in interpersonal networks.

I like the idea, and as a marketing consultant, of course I would love to always start with a remarkable product. On the other hand, what’s “remarkable” may be in the eye of the beholder. Given the appropriate distribution channel and a niche-centric search infrastructure (e.g., Amazon, eBay, BrightCove, Kanoodle, Quigo, etc.), it seems to me that almost any conceivable product or service (within reason, of course) could result in a community of customer evangelists. The Long Tail perspective was conspicuously absent from discussion at the WOMMA Summit. I may have simply missed a panel or two where this popped up, but in my mind, niche communities are the hotbed of word-of-mouth marketing opportunity for products and services in search of customers.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: For marketing professionals, selling community-building services and word-of-mouth marketing programs to clients requires an economic context. And, I believe Chris Anderson’s work may provide an answer. The lucky byproduct of our work in this regard will be improvement and refinement of products and services based on the preferences and behavior of the niche communities that anchor consumer demand. Marketing will increasingly embrace co-creation and dialogue as natural extensions of brand experiences. This will be an imperative as the media landscape continues to splinter and become more self selected.