Archive for the ‘influential-WOM’ Category

Would you perosnally read your copy to your customer?

At the risk of inciting envy, this is the time of year I really enjoy Florida - 78 degrees in November with cobalt blue skies and a light ocean breeze.  But anyway, I was traveling around the other day in my top-down Jeep when I see another of my Jeep brethren in my rear view window.  If you need enlightenment on the Jeep Nation please read my post from a few months ago.  Anyway this guy and girl pull up beside me at a traffic light and yell over at me.  “Hey, we’re not from around here.  Where can we get a nice lunch?”  Having seen their California licence plate, I had already pegged them as tourists and so their request seemed more than legit.  What followed was an interesting combination of thin slicing (a term from Malcolm Gladwell’s book - Blink), market research, and the incredible power of word of mouth recommendation.  All in a matter of maybe a minute at a traffic light.

Our little berg has lots of quaint little lunch spots, so when posed with the original question, my retort was naturally - “What are you guys hungry for?” hoping to narrow my list.  His answer, “Something authentic, you know - no fast food chains”.  OK, so I have all the data I need from my target consumer.  The usual suspects of burger and sub shops have just been eliminated.  Some quick assumptions relative to their visual demographics and West Coast personality, eliminated a few more.  When I finally landed on my favorite lunch spot that I personally thought they would enjoy, an incredible sense of power came over me.  I was actually going to be responsible for their first impression in my little town, responsible for quenching their hunger, and perhaps provide for a memorable experience.  Lots of weight on my proverbial “word of mouth” shoulders.  I directed them to a nice little lunch spot that was just up the road.  Nice deli style sandwiches, tables outside to eat, and a great little old-style deli experience in my estimation. 

We both pulled away from the light giving each other a friendly wave.  Over the next few minutes I reflected on what had just happened from a marketing POV.   I had delivered to a consumer a word of mouth recommendation that within minutes was acted upon.  It was the purest form of communication.  No filters, Tivos, extraneous background clutter, meaningless copy etc..  But maybe what was most enlightening as I drove back to my office was the amount of thought I had put into this recommendation.  Not measured in time, as the entire conversation took place within one cycle of a traffic light.  But the seriousness of thought and true personal involvement I felt in my recommendation.  This was a stranger to my town.  Connected by our joint passion for Jeeps, and simply looking for a good lunch.  I held his first impression of this little beach town in my hands. 

What if all marketers viewed their next ad as if they were personally going to show a print ad, read a television script, or hold up a billboard to an individual?  An individual that could look them in the eye and ask questions.  In that scenario would we as marketers be willing to deliver such a personal recommendation to a new visitor in the community.  Nothing to hide behind, the marketing would be tied to our reputation.  I think under that scenario, marketing would be just a little bit better if we took such personal ownership and translated our traditional mediums through a word of mouth experiential model.

 Just for kicks I thought I’d drive by the little sandwich shop.  Even though it was a bit out of my way, I was curious if they were there.  As I drove by the couple were sitting out on the picnic tables, Jeep parked nearby, and they both threw out the universal two thumbs up.  Influential recommendation leading to trial.  The strongest form of advertising had just proven itself once again.   I drove away and felt the power of persuasion.