There is an online debate in the marketing world related to measuring word-of-mouth marketing. The online and offline buzz surrounding a brand or product has been nearly impossible to measure accurately, but the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) is trying to do just that by developing a standard metric system to accurately measure the success of all word-of-mouth initiatives.
Some marketers and brand managers argue against creating this type of metric saying that true word-of-mouth is earned by spending time, money and effort in building a relationship with customers. I have to concur with that theory, but at the same time, with the explosion of viral marketing and social media marketing, both of which lend themselves perfectly to word-of-mouth marketing and generating an online buzz, there certainly is an abundance of new opportunities to connect with people through the social web.
However, this begs the question – should manufactured word-of-mouth marketing be measured the same way as organic word-of-mouth marketing (i.e., the kind that comes from your most loyal customers after they’ve worked through the 7 Steps of Advertising Success and become your best brand advocates)? My response to this question is – absolutely not.
While a natural part of marketing and branding is understanding what efforts are working and which initiatives generate the best ROI, it’s equally important to understand that part of marketing and branding is subjective. Metrics need to take into account who is doing the talking in word-of-mouth marketing and who those people are talking to. Furthermore, metrics need to take into account who is actually listening and influenced by word-of-mouth marketing and who are the true influencers. By identifying these success factors, true ROI will be realized.
What do you think of WOMMA’s attempts at defining metrics for measuring word-of-mouth marketing?
Image: WOMMA.com
Lucy is Editor at Corporate Eye
