(Republished from Tell 3000 blog). A fascinating case study is unfolding online regarding a Motrin video and TV commercial triggered a viral backlash among the segment I refer to in Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000, as "Power Moms."  Recall:

"Power Moms, who often balance their careers with parenting, have little free time and therefore have no choice but to connect and communication in the most efficient way possible. Bound by a sense of community and responsibility, Power Moms will go out of their way to tell fellow parents and other consumers about their opinions on or experiences with products or companies -- particularly those, like cold medicines or diapers or minivans, that have to do with the health and safety of their families."

In this case, the platform of choice for the Power Moms is Twitter, and this puts the controversy on hyper-drive.  Like it or not, Twitter has dramatically accelerated the delivery time of "feedback moments." This particular issue moved so fast that a nine-minute Twitter-montage has already been posted to the YouTube documenting negative reactions to the ad campaign. According to the Crunchy Domestic Goddess blog, the brand has formally responded and retracted the ad. Marketing bloggers are having a field day with the topic -- in fact, they are driving a good percentage of the overall conversation --  and David Armano's thoughtful analysis is one of the best so far.  (My response to his post here.)  Kevin Dugan also weighs in, while Steve Hall at Ad-Rants thinks we're all going a bit overboard on the issue.  Oh, and there's even a counter-video to that effect (thanks, Kevin Dugan, for heads-up).  My wife and I are huge fans of the baby-slings and carriers so I'll conduct perhaps the most important "focus group" on the spot tomorrow morning. 

Off to the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Summit in Las Vegas starting tomorrow.  If you are there, look for me and we'll catch up. I'm delivering a keynote on Friday.    The agenda looks fabulous, and I'm proud to be associated with this group!  More information on the conference here.

Follow Me On Twitter

I really like this ad that just showed up on the front page of the New York Times this morning.  An excellent play on customer satisfacton, and a nice tie-in with a long-standing Apple Ad campaign. I also like to refer to this as CFM, or Consumer-Fortified Media, as its paid media that's typically reinforced by consumer comments, reviews, blog entries, and the like. 

Earlier this week at Ad-Tech NY I moderated a "master class" session on "Building Brands Online" which included the NY Times, Kraft, Intuit, Zappos.com, and 1800Flowers.com, My core question for the panel was very simple, and quite pertinent to this market environment.  If your goal is to sell management on the value of investing online, and you only had $5 to spend, where would you start!  The answers were telling, and provide critical context to how we think about framing our value proposition – across all Nielsen Online products.  Richard Cacciato, who blogged for Ad-Tech, offers an excellent summary of the panel, and here are a few of my topline notes. 

• Andy Markowitz, leader of digital efforts at Kraft, suggested he’s take a step back before tossing money at marketing tactics (e.g. online advertising, social media), and would invest the money in nailing key consumer insights around online behavior.  What’s the core unmet need; is there something about Kraft’s target consumer online that might ultimately push a higher level of investment. 
•  Zappos.com, recently ranked by Ad Age as one of 2008’s top marketers (after the Barack Obama campaign), took a different tack, suggesting the $5 would best be invested in customer service, call support, or even employee training.  Great experiences, user-experience director Brian Kalma explained, ultimately grow the brand on the strength of favorable word-of-mouth – evident across an expanding spectrum of CGM venues, from blogs to twitter.
• Scott Wilder, GM of Intuit’s Product Development/Online Communities, insisted the money would best be invested in product, although his definition of “product” encompassed Intuits half-a-million user strong online communities.  The big payout of getting that right, he explained, is that the users not online drive favorable word of mouth, but act as a de-facto customer support labor force.  Nine of ten questions posed by consumers about Intuit products and services are answered by other consumers, often the most connected and influential.  Scott also underscored the invaluable insights that emerge from such “user contribution systems”
•  Jeffrey Graham, head of customer insights for the NY Times talked more about some of the efficiencies of spending the $5 on online advertising on increasingly participatory platforms like the New York Times.  Importantly, Graham nicely articulated how advertising in areas rich with influencers can potentially increase odds of success.  Increasingly, consumers are looking to their peers for buying behavior guidance,  he noted, and online advertising models need to wrap around that reality.
• Lastly, Kevin Randford of 1800Flowers.com underscored that he’s use the $5 to feed his already aggressive “test and measure” learning plan, even in new areas such as mobile, where ecommerce players are increasingly breaking new ground.  1800Flowers, he explained, is learning in real-time based on user-interaction, feedback, and even spending patterns, and the key for them is to invest any incremental dollars into accelerating that learning curve in an increasingly competitive environment.

Lessons from Obama’s Digital Effort:  Lastly, we couldn’t resist the temptation to ponder whether the Obama campaign’s online/digital effort represented a breakthrough or milestone for online investment.  While there was broad consensus that the Obama campaign rewrote the script of successful online activity, each panelist viewed it slightly differently.   One point I underscored, consistent with earlier commentary on the subject. the Obama campaign created the ultimate participatory “ecosystem” between offline and online activity.  Their CRM system bordered on science (alerts were sent moments before major events or speeches…even before the celebrated Chicago victory speech and the website maximized participation and engagement…at just about every level.  If you wanted to walk the streets at knock on doors, you could download a kit, complete with numbers.  If you wanted to self-organize your own social network you could do that as well.  If you donated money, they’d often play a “victory lap” video to drive an even deeper emotional connection.  More on this later.

Overall Election Buzz Swings: Here's the general breakout of blog conversations as they pertain to today's election.  Note the swings over time between Barack Obama and John McCain. Another good indicator to check out is the number of times bloggers (including media bloggers) have explicitly linked to the candidates' websites since November 2nd.  Here are the links for for Obama and McCain.

"I Voted" - More Persuasive than "Please Vote"?  What's unique so far about this election versus the last one is the degree to which folks have already voted, and are saying so explicitly online -- e.g. "I Voted" -- even with greater velocity than terms like "please vote" or "I'm voting."   Will this build more momentum, or drive a bit of peer-to-peer pressure among those who have yet to hit their voting precinct?  We'll see. Living in Ohio, it's clear just by driving by the downtown registrar office that thousands of people have voted ahead of time.  The line last Saturday lasted hours, many said. 

Who's Talking About the Ads: Here's a breakout of explicit "ad" reference for McCain and Obama.  Not a huge number of references overall, but a deeper dive provides useful texture into the recall drivers or points of controversy (or acrimony) around the ads. 

The "Changing" Vernacular:  "Change" has been one of the biggest buzzwords of the campaign, and both candidates have consistently woven it into their messaging.  Here's the latest breakout on explicit references to the word "change" and the respective candidates.

Ads, Rallies, and Satire:  Ads have played a big roll in driving conversation about today's election, but don't discount the role of political satire in keeping us talking.  (Sorry, just had to end this on a ligher note.)

The Council of PR Firms recently assembled a video montage of commentary about the future of the PR industry (which includes a short snippet from yours truly) for its Critical Issues Forum.  Jonah Bloom of Ad Age kicks it off.  Collectively, the video sounds a not so subtle alarm about the role of PR in communications future.  Worth a quick view.  If you want a deeper view into the fracture in the PR industry, I also recommend BJ Ochman's post on this issue.

Twitter: PBlackshaw

Just got an email from Starbuck's directed to the folks (like myself) who submitted over 55,000 ideas to the MyStarbucksIdea.com website. The crux of the message is that Starbucks is being responsive to the ideas generated during the campaign. This is important, as "responsiveness" is one of the six drivers of credibility in my book "Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell Three Thousand."   So which idea got the most votes?  Turns out, the big winner was one for Starbucks to, drumroll please..."create a sense of conversation and community within its locations."

One way of doing this would be to use the power of media and wireless new media in particular to foster a sense of conversation about the arts, current events, etc. In other words to stimulate Starbucks patrons that wish to interact as part of a 21st century "cafe society" such as they have in Europe traditionally - people gathering together to discuss the arts, world events and culture.

This idea generated (so far) over a 1030 comments (quite impressive) and the collective output, validation, constructive criticism and reinforcement makes the idea even more powerful.  The other ideas are also worth checking out!  Alas, the power of feedback. Starbucks is far from out of the woods, but this program sets a powerful new bar for feedback and consumer participation. (Oh, and I like the Oatmeal...but it didn't influence this blog post.) :-)

Thoughtful read in Ad Age by David Armano entitled "Unconventional Times Calls for Unconventional Marketing."  Basically a call for more "sense and response" marketing, to wit:

Speaking from personal experience, I could not have predicted many of the outcomes I have had since launching a blog, but I believe following a much more "unconventional" path is a core reason behind everything that I've learned from it. For a couple of hundred dollars a year and a whole lot of dedication and effort it's priceless to me. So as I think about how times are becoming more unconventional -- with unpredictable financial markets and political change in the air -- I can't help but think that it's more important than ever to get serious about what it takes to do these types of initiatives right. It just doesn't look like conventional marketing -- it's different. And unconventional times call for unconventional tactics.

He's got the cred to the make the point. His blog is well-read, and it's nicely morphed and evolved over time.  He listens, engages, listens again, and so forth.  This is what it's all about.

I feel like a bit of an imposter here at BlogWorld.  I talk about blogs every day -- interpret them, offer strategy to companies about how to create and manage them - but in many respects I've lost touch a bit with "individual" blogging.  The reality is that I'm only updating my ConsumerGeneratedMedia site one every week or so (sometimes longer), and many of the issues or tips or "deep thoughts" I ordinarily would toss on my blog have been cannibalized by Twitter, Facebook, Yammer (internal twitter), and the bi-weekly "marketing meets service" column I now write for Advertising Age. I'm also increasingly self-conscious that if I don't stay diligent, and ever attentive, I'll continue getting lapped by far wiser and prescient marketing industry bloggers.  There are many, and they keep me on my toes.

Still, few experiences have so motivated me to think differently about consumer-generated media (or conversations, or social media...) as my own personal blogging (whether this one or my own family blogs like DosBebes or HybridBuzz) and I'm eager to rediscover some of the blog-love while here at the BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas.  So in addition to participating on a panel dedicated to one of my favorite topics, Defensive Branding, which builds on my of the themes in my book, I hope to put on my consumer cap and soak in some fresh ideas and inspiration.  As I look across the hundreds of individuals intently listening to the keynote address here, delivered by TypePads Anil Dash and Chris Alden, there's an unmistakable level of passion, commitment, and personal pride in the development of the blogosphere. At times it borders on romantic "blogs will solve all" naivette, but that's overshadowed by the unmistakable reality that these are the new media creators and content curators of the marketspace. From traditional media companies who increasingly connect with readers using blog publishing tools to corporations seeking to dial up a greater sense of authenticity and transparency with consumers or customers, everyone, it seems, is borrowing lessons and insights from the folks in this room.  So perhaps this is where insight begins -- perhaps!  We'll see.  I'll keep taking notes. #bwe08

If you haven't yet met Susan Bratton, you haven't truly lived in the online advertising and Web 2.0 world.  Susan lives right smack in the center of Silicon Valley and has worn a host of high-impact digital "hats," so to speak, in our still-nascent industry:  head of advertising for the former @Home broadband play, long-tme chairwoman of Ad-Tech (arguably the largest online trade show in the world), and so much more.  Way back when we were just getting P&G's first interactive marketing team off the ground, Susan was an invaluable resource and digital "tour guide," so to speak.  Recently, Susan started -- nay, threw her unmistakable energy and passion into -- Personal Life Media, which is essentially a blog and podcasting network covering a host both expected (e.g. online advertising industry developments) and unexpected (religion and spirituality, society and culture, sexuality) topics. Oh, and she's building a great audience.  Her husband Tim, no Spring-chicken as web culture goes (he invented Rhapsody), is her partner in this ambitious endeavor.  Anyway, this is a long preface to the fact that I had the honor of being interviewed by Susan recently for one of her DishyMix podcast shows, and I must say it was the most fun I've had all year.  She's engaging, disarming, and knows her subjects well enough to potentially get them into hot water. (But I say that in a good way!) Credit to Susan, she really got me worked up about the things I love -- in my business, in my personal pursuits related to Web 2.0 (such as building blogs and sites dedicated to my kids), and so much more.  Oh, and we talk lots about my recent book, Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000 (Doubleday Business), especially around "talk drivers" and what I call "the love spot" (sorry you just have to listen first to know what I'm talking about on that one. )  Click here to Listen Now!    Of course, if my pontification bores you (always a possibility), I can assure you that you won't be disappointed with her other interviews, including recent ones of breakthrough advertising thinker Paul Woolmington (founder of Naken Communication), agency pioneer Alex Bogusky, search expert John Batelle, groundsweller Charlene Li, and "Personality Not Included" author Rohit Bhargava.

My latest column in Ad Age ("Zappos Shows How Employees Can Be Brand Builders") focused on employee advocacy.  Can employees serve as a de facto advertising channel, I ask?  The answer is yes, but it obviously requires some finesse, and the right level of commitment. To kick off my exploratory, I tee up Zappos.com as a case study:

Every year Zappos.com, one of the fastest-growing e-commerce sites, publishes a "culture book." Three hundred pages in length, the book includes written -- and often gushy -- testimonials from employees about what it means to work at Zappos.com. "Our Zappos culture is truly the best work experience I have ever encountered," writes Chris V. "As a new employee of the company, I was blown away by how amazing the company really was. When I started I felt so unreal," notes David J. And on and on and on -- you get the idea.

If you talk to Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh or his marketing chief Brian Kalma,* you'll find a plan and a strategy, not to mention powerful, validating numbers to boot behind all this group love. Indeed, the vast majority of trial and repeat at Zappos.com is driven by word of mouth, and employees -- their motivation, their attentiveness to customers, their handling of feedback -- are foundational to that approach.

Here's a link to the article.

Here's a few fun "data" views from Nielsen's BlogPulse monitoring tool, which tracks nearly 80 million blogs daily.  You can run your own trend charts. 

Don't Dis Badminton:  In the blogosphere at least, the birdie stayed in play with the hot, hip sands of beach volleyball.

Is Bela Karoyli the next Howard Cosell? You never know, but at one point he nearly eclipsed Costas on blog mentions.

Gold Glitters -- Disproportionately:  Yes, indeed.

If you are still hungry for Olympic data and bloggage, my work colleague Jon Gibs is blogging away on Nielsen's Analyst Blog.   

A couple new interviews and podcasts have been published related to the book. If you are looking for a quick digest, here they are.

• Q&A with the Council of PR Firms Publication: "The Firm Voice: Trends, Insights and Analysis for PR Firms"  Helping Clients Communicate with Consumer in a Consumer Driven World
• BNet Podcast Interview of Pete Blackshaw: How to Build Credibility into Your Business

After a long wait I'm watching the season opener for the much-buzzed AMC TV series Mad Men. The show has a special appeal to me, as my father, William Blackshaw, was an ad executive at BBDO (the firm on which the show is based) starting in the early 1960s.  Weeks after the first episode aired last year, and only two months before he died, we talked at length about the show: its accuracy, its reflection on the ad world he experienced, and host of other issues. It just feels right to re-run the interview.

There's a certain irony that in this "age of conversation," we're increasingly compelled to pre-qualify conversation lest undesirable noise, garbage, or spam infest the airwaves. This latest chapter in the "Tragedy of the Commons" is not only a buzzkill, but borders on comical.  This evening, after reading a thoughtful post on viral marketing by respected blogger B.L. Ochman, I attempted to toss in a short and sweet "great post" comment.  Before it could go up, I had to type in the term -- I hope I get this right -- BROWNLABRADOODLE. You've got to be kidding, I kept muttering to myself.  Of course I promptly and predictably flubbed the spelling of this tongue-twister-on-steroids on the first two go-arounds, eliciting this annoying "error" message.  Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg.  For some blogs, you practically need magnifying glasses (and a code-breaker) to figure out the weird bends and contortions of letters embedded in the cryptic words.  It all borders on tragic.  To keep our airwaves clean, we now have little choice but to subject consumers or users to what we might refer to as a "Conversational Customs Office."   

Today's New York Times features an article entitled Cooling Off on Dubious Eco-Friendly Claims that hits a core theme in Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000: don't overstate claims.  In a world of attentive consumers, and detail-focused bloggers, gaps between product claim and reality are easily exposed. 

The problem...occurs when marketers make exaggerated claims about a product’s attributes, which may be fine when selling toothpaste or vacations. Most people probably know that the toothpaste will not actually make their teeth sparkle or help them get a date.But when a company says its product will improve the environment, consumers can sense if the claim is puffed up, Mr. Lawrence said. “This can really backfire with environmental advertising,” he said.

We see this constantly via unstructured text mining.  Skepticism abounds in the consumer-generated media airwaves about companies overstating green claims, and often the commentary will link to evidence, data, or corroborating commentary reinforcing the push-back.  This is why I keep pounding away at the theme of "credibility" throughout my book. If the claim, positioning, or ad-message lacks credibility, the "wisdom of the crowds" -- or even just the hyper-attentive minority -- will call out the inconsistencies and disconnects.

Time magazing just published a wonderfully positive review of my book, Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000.  (The image to the left is from the article.) Notes reviewer Andrea Sachs: "This book deserves a spot on the desk of every executive who worries about his company's reputational risk."   Earlier in the week, CNBC wrote another flattering review in the "Bullish on Book" sections. 

“SATISFIED CUSTOMERS” is a great guide for business leaders and marketing officers who want to build a trusting, authentic and lasting relationship with today’s vocal consumer.

Launch Events: The reviews were just a couple highlights of an absolutely incredible week in NYC related to my book launch, and I'm just winding down. In addition to keeping up with my regular work flow, I participated in three successive book launch events: one by my classmates at HBS (thanks, Rick and Jen Lerner and Bill and Daphne Hildebolt or ExpoTV.com), another absolutely incredible of ("amazing" insists my wife Erika) hosted by Nielsen at the incredible Soho loft of Karen Watson (Nielsen's head of Corporate Communications), and the third hosted by the P&G Alumni Assocation NY chapter (big thanks to Tina Adolfsson) held at the breathtaking offices of Marina Maher communications (thanks, Marina). At each event I had a chance to catch up with old friends, talk briefly about the book themes, and answer a questions. 

Overall Engagement:  We're only a week into the book's official release, but I do sense a real and genuine level of engagement around its themes and issues. Everyone, it seems, is curious and engaged about the big questions: If consumers are in control, what does that mean for me as a business manager or stakeholder?   What is the proper and appropriate protocol for engaging with consumers in this environment?  And most importantly, how does my business stay credible in the process? 

Final Footnote: The ultimate irony of this amazing week is that it actually kicked off on Tuesday at at event entitled "How Should Research Leverage The Ability To Listen To Consumers In A Web 2.0 World?  Joel Rubinson, the new head of research of the Advertising Research Foundation, pulled together a dozen or so industry leaders in the field of market research to vet out this topic, especially around the power of the "unprompted consumer voice."  The discussion was deep, stimulating, uncomfortable and breakthrough -- one of the most gratifying sessions I've participated in all year.  (Huge thanks to Joel and ARF head Bob Barocci for leading this charge). 

If you want to stay engaged on the book or the book themes, here are a few options:

• The Tell 3000 Group on Facebook is almost up to 400 members.  I expect a host of superb conversation here.  The group draws in part from the Tell3000.com site.
• Twitter Feeds:  My personal feed or the Tell3000 feed (which tracks at the brands that actively use Twitter to engage companies: Dell, Southwest, JetBlue, Comcast, Virgin, Zappos, etc)
• Ad-Tech Chicago Keynote Panel 8/6 featuring Edelman, Nestle, Blogher, Dell, and Comcast.  I'm the moderator. 
• 8/30 Book Chat & Signing: Joseph Beth's Cincinnati

I’m incredibly excited to announce today's release of my very first book, “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000: Running a Business in a Consumer-Driven World.”  Published by Doubleday Business, the book is now available in most major bookstores as well as Amazon.com and other online venues.   

The book’s core question is critically important, and one I’ve been thinking about since testing new feedback models in the California legislature back in the early 1990s (and all the way up through my tenure today at Nielsen Online):  how to establish and maintain credibility by being authentic, listening and responding to customers, and forming relationships built on openness, transparency, and trust.  The growth of the web, and the unprecedented power and leverage it provides consumers, puts this question in a unique, if not urgent, context.  This Q&A from Sunday's Edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer provides helpful background on the book themes.

Ongoing Participation: Beyond just reading the book, I also hope you will participate in a sustained conversation and debate about its themes.   Toward that end, I’ve created a website entitled Tell3000.com that provides key resources, open-forums, video reviews, and most importantly, a series of audio-based consumer interviews about brand experiences that I hope to update nearly every day.  Here’s the short list of ways you can stay involved.

• Participate (provide comments, even complain) on the Tell3000 blog

• Sign-Up for Tomorrow's Nielsen and Nielsen Online sponsored webinar

• Join a Discussion in the Tell3000 Open Forums

• Join a “Tell 3000” Facebook Group Dedicated to the “Service is Marketing” Theme

• Join Me at a New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, San Francisco, or Pasadena (My Home Town) Event.  All events will be posted here.

• Follow Me on Twitter or the Tell 3000 feed of brands that respond/engage

• Send ideas or suggestions for my new bi-weekly column in Ag Age about the symbiotic relationship between “service and marketing.”  Here's my last article. Send to the following.
  

• Share your candid (even critical) reviews, or join a discussion forum related to the book themes, on Amazon. 

A much longer list is cited in my book, but an enormous and grateful thanks to all of those who provided support and encouragement,  especially my wife Erika (who's featured in this "day before launch" commemorative photo along with my three kids: Liam, Leila, and Sophia.)

Time grows short.  My new book, "Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000" officially hits the bookstore Tuesday, July 8th.  The book takes a look at how marketers and brands can establish and maintain credibility in today’s consumer-driven, digital world. Launching a book is like having a party and waiting to see who shows up, and at what precise time. I'm excited and terrified at the same time.  Early buzz is really encouraging, and Amazon pre-sales certainly show signs of genuine interest.  On July 9th, I will be providing a sneak preview into book themes in a Nielsen hosted Webinar from 2-3 PM EST.  I'm deeply honored to have Beth Thomas-Kim, Director of Consumer Services, Nestle USA (and chairwoman of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals, SOCOP), and Tom Asher, Director of Consumer Relations North America, Levi Strauss & Co. join me to talk about the key book themes. As I walk through each of my "Six Drivers of Brand Credibility," Tom and Beth will offer candid reactions and perspectives based on their experience.  I'll be sharing more information about the book in the coming days, but if you want more information, here are a couple links:

• July 8th Webinar Sign-Up
• Official Book Website, Tell3000.com
• Official "Tell 3000" Blog

This just showed up on my profile page on Facebook.  Got my attention, all right!  Nice targeting too!

My online colleagues at Nielsen Online just launched a blog appropriately entitled "Connecting the Dots."  Early entries include commentary on sustainability CGM/buzz trends by analyst Jessica Hogue, thoughts on measuring the true value of an online visit by Ken Cassar, and musing on what will "really make online video take off" by Jon Gibs.  Yes, this is a shameless plug, but I learn tons from these folks everyday, so I'm sharing the love. :-) I will chip in here and there as well.

Just got notification that "Digital Pimp" is following me on Twitter.   Could be a joke, but it looks too close to the truth. I suppose this was inevitable!  Bummer.

Does brand advocacy matter?  Of course it does, and in the age of consumer control, it's more important than ever. Every CMO leading a brand that even remotely touches the digital space would be well advised write this on the chalkboard 100 times. This is the thesis of my ClickZ column this morning. Among my key points.

Brand advocacy matters today because it precipitates an indelible digital trail of commentary that publicly rewards or indicts brand performance or the fulfillment of brand promises. This digital trail acts like media in both intimate and incidental ways, consistently affecting awareness, trail, and ultimately purchase of products -- or the defection from them. And yes, this has everything to do with business growth and health.

Back in business school, my service management professor James Heskett constantly reminded us that keeping customers satisfied over a long time dramatically impacts profitability on many levels. Profit increases from price premiums, increased purchases, and even reduced operating costs. But equally important, profit from so-called referrals also increases over the lifespan of the customer relationship. Heskett and his Harvard Business School colleague Earl Sasser hit this point hard in their more recent book, "The Value Profit Chain."

Today we have an environment in which barriers to providing feedback have virtually disappeared. Moreover, the choice of megaphones for expressing satisfaction and dissatisfied is almost limitless. To name just a few: blogs, forums, video, photos, social networking pages, mobile Web 2.0 apps, and even Twitter.

What Drives Propensity to Recommend?

With the referral spectrum expanding and leaving a digital trail in the process, brands must take a long look in the mirror and ask themselves: what are the root drivers of advocacy? For eight years, I've monitored CGM (define) and online feedback. What I've consistently noticed, across virtually every category, is that overall product experience -- not the cute buzz campaign -- motivates advocacy. And most of the triggers occur offline, not via that one-trick-pony, the viral video campaign:

According to the above data, if you really want to do word-of-mouth marketing well, you're better off investing your attention on the boring stuff, like product performance, employee training, quality, and especially customer service. Certainly quite a few tactics and strategies can help you reap even higher conversational or CGM returns from preexisting advocacy levels. Blogs, CGM campaigns, influencer marketing, and online communities all matter. But to have great potential and bring enduring, sustainable value to the brand, they must sit on a solid foundation. Don't believe me. Just search for your brand on Google or Wikipedia.

And remember, consumers on the extreme end of dissatisfaction can't be ignored in this environment. Negative advocacy bleeds across the Web. Consumers you've pushed to the dark side because of bad experiences or mismanaged expectations can wreak havoc -- in perpetuity. Anger is an emotion, and, like it or not, emotion and conversation have a symbiotic relationship. Conversation drives links, and links translate into more optimized shelf-positioning on search results, which increases the odds that other searchers will be met with brand venom.

Measuring and Acting on the Insights:  But there's a silver lining: this is all quantifiable. In the end, we need strong, compelling metrics to ensure we're monitoring brand advocacy levels. Metrics can range from informal "what's the pulse of my consumer" searches to more involved Net Promoter or Online Promoter scores. Lately I've been drawing attention to what I call the brand advocacy quotient (BAQ). The BAQ looks at many data sources, including unaided CGM (boards, blogs, forums), aided survey data (e.g., are you likely to recommend this brand, and for what reason?), and even site metered data to pinpoint advocacy depth.

In the end, we want not only a reliable long-term score card around advocacy but also an understanding of the specific talk drivers that compel consumers to reach out, recommend, create CGM, and talk around the water cooler. In some categories, such as restaurant and casual dining, the front counter experience is the number one advocacy driver. In higher-involvement categories like financial services, electronics, and wireless, it's customer service.

At the end of the day, if we want to see positive vibes about our brand in the so-called conversation, we must dive deeper into the core building blocks of product experience.
Nurturing advocacy also means rethinking what it means to truly listen and respond to consumers. Brand advocates feel a deeper level of intimate connection with the brand that listens to or dignifies their voices, so we must ask harder questions about whether "being heard" is worth the infrastructure investment.

We must always bear in mind the cost of not listening; the more consumers feel like they aren't heard, the louder they get by cross-posting, videocasting, typing in all capital letters, turning to things like Twitter or The Consumerist, where they know they'll get a bigger audience. This is precisely the topic of my forthcoming book, "Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000." Setting up a corporate blog or CGM contest is a good entry point, but it's not a panacea. Listening requires full attention and commitment.

However you look at it, loyalty isn't enough anymore. There's just too much at stake in the flow of positive and negative commentary consumers leave across the Web.

Yes, advocacy matters.

Just couldn't resist -- this from both my ClickZ column and a accompanying website to keep the conversation alive.  "Imagine if astute political observer and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli parachuted back into our world to see all the strange new media specimens of Earth twittering away during their idle moments. Recently, I recklessly bumped into Machiavelli on the street while we were both twittering about, well, going across the street. We decided to sit down over Italian roast and biscotti to discuss his acute observations. He's started to carefully analyze and segment all the curious personality types and behaviors emerging from Twitter-land." Again, here's the list. 

This video below (which I discovered via the WSJ blog) captures the core essence of Twitter in simple animation.  I don't entirely agree with all the articulated "benefits" but it's well worth watching.  And while we're on the topic of Twitter, here's a link to my ClickZ column this week entitled "Customer Service Meets 'Lord of the Twitters.'"