ChatThreads ChatterBox

Free access to Admap article: "Is Talking Getting You Anywhere? Measuring WOM Marketing"

Here's a PDF of my Admap article (Admap allows us to post it free for 30 days so read it now, or get your subscription to Admap). Be sure to check out other Admap articles devoted to WOM as well.

It was strange for me to give up editorial control over the final content of the article. Overall, though, the editors did a great job making my verbose language choices more concise and incorporating images and tables to bring the content alive. Just a couple comments to clarify some of the content:

- Figure 3 on p. 19: There should be a dollar sign not a pound sign by Net Conversation Value. (While we do work in the UK, this Conversation Value Model analysis was done for a U.S. client. Must have been a typo missed in the final editorial process).

- The blurb by the photo on p. 17: "Research by ChatThreads found that 50% of influencers' conversations were face-to-face, while 35% took place online." Be sure to read the full text in the body since we measured this for a new technology product launch where a company engaged influential bloggers. Other programs we measure, such as for CPG products, typically have 80%-90% of WOM that takes place offline. (Also, the article states that ChatThreads is the WOM marketing agency, while that text should refer to Matchstick).

Admap series of articles on WOM Marketing

Be sure to check out the current issue (April 2009) of Admap which has a series of articles on word of mouth. Articles include:

Where is talking getting you? Measuring WOM
Comparing new models for measuring word-of-mouth ROI, such as Conversation Value, Momentum Effect and Net Promoter Economics. 
Dr Walter Carl, ChatThreads

Influencers are essential in driving WOM
As demand for word-of-mouth marketing has grown, so has the need for insight into how influencers stimulate demand. 
Ed Keller and Brad Fay, Keller Fay Group

Empower consumers to shape the brand
Getting word-of-mouth right is not about telling people what to think, and may require a change in corporate culture. 
Ivan Palmer, Wildfire

Paying lip service is not enough
Word-of-mouth needs to be integrated into the whole brand development process, not tacked on as an afterthought. 
Geoff Gray, Naked Communications

Tap into passions of brand advocates
To ensure productive and long-term conversations with consumers, a brand must first identify its discursive matrix. 
Molly Flatt, 1000heads

The Future of Measurement: Predictions for 2009

Over at Social Abacus, Kate Niederhoffer compiled a list of predictions for 2009 about measurement and analytics. Below are four broad themes she pulled out from individual researchers' contributions to the discussion. You can download her summary as a PDF file from her post.

• We will substantially advance our understanding of individuals and the meaningful connections they have.

• We will identify methods to tap what people are *really* thinking, feeling, and paying attention to, meanwhile gaining insight on what a measurement is truly capturing.

• We will determine how to measure the value of social interactions and attach financial value, whether we’re monetizing attention or a new medium.

• We will build better tools to manage-- analyze and visualize-- massive volumes of data, primarily tapping the evolving social graph.