Have You Heard

Following on from our post on the Guardian Influencer research done, here is a look at the importance of Weak Ties, in spreading WoM. Click on the image to read the full article on Neoco's blog.

This means that Weak Ties are essential for word of mouth and influence. They are the channels through which people access information and resources beyond those available in their own social circle. It follows, therefore, that people with a greater number of Weak Ties are more exposed to new ideas and are in a stronger position to inject those ideas into otherwise unconnected networks.

Information flows more easily, traverses a greater social distance and reaches a greater number of people through Weak Ties. Weak Ties are a key component of word of mouth.

Continue Reading

Did you know that people speak more more about Nappies than any other product available - fascinating isnt it!

This is  due to the fact that new mothers are engaging with a new nappy up to 10 times a day, and that the effectiveness of a nappy is directly linked to their child's state of well-being, comfort and happiness, which is then directly linked to theirs. Combined with the fact that new mothers are highly connected to other new mothers and very focused on talking about baby-relevant topics which allows the nappy discussion to be a very electric one.

Other research shows that 1 positive endorsement by a mother, reaches 1000 others mothers. So you can see how powerful Word-of-Mouth can be to the state of a nappy brands existence - both positively and negatively.

I use Nappies as an example because it is the leader in terms of being spoken about, however, all brands and products are being spoken about - even yours. The questions is, what are people really saying about your brand and why?
We need to start listening more to the conversations they are having about your brand because these are the conversations that make or break your brand.

*We know all this from research done by Milward Brown, looking at Advocacy rates around the world (how much people from different countries spread word-of-mouth) where they also looked at what people talk about - and Nappies was the leading product.

Continue Reading

Episode 1 of 7:

HaveYouHeard will be featuring 7 video's over the course of 7 weeks, looking at Word-of-Mouth within the township environment.

This first video contextualises Word-of-Mouth and the Township and why it is so important for your brand to be aware of both what people are saying about it and importantly who is saying it. There currently seems to be 'Facebook-Fever' running through marketing departments all over the country, where every brand is trying to leverage itself in the social media world. But what about the dynamics in real life, which on-line social media is merely facilitating and where Word-of-Mouth is so much more powerful and electric.  You think Facebook is exciting - add some steriods and welcome to the Township!

Take Away Insights

1. The Township is Facebook on steroids.
2. Life is all about Relationships and Conversation.
3. Your community defines who you are and what products you use (to a large extent).
4. The Individual is defined by the brands they consume.
5. What role is your brand playing within this dynamic?

Continue Reading