No News is Good News?
September 19th, 2005
We’re working on developing a word of mouth campaign for one of our clients, so I’ve been talking to some of their reps and customers, and I had a very interesting conversation last week. One of the buyers for one of our client’s customers, when I told him we were working on WOM, responded with “Usually, we don’t want to hear people talking. If people are unhappy, that’s when they talk. So usually, if we don’t hear anything, that’s a good thing.”
WHOA!
While I will concede that negative feedback tends to feel louder, think about the power of it… and what that power can do when it’s positive. Yes, it’s scary to allow your brand’s message into the unregulated hands of the average Joe, and yes it’s scary to take the kind of risks that get talked about, but even long-time category leaders can’t just sit back on their haunches enjoying their hefty market share anymore. Someone else will swoop in with something worth talking about and, before you know it, you’re scrambling like a newcomer. An investment in real WOM - the kind you benefit from most, the kind you can’t control - takes a lot of courage. You have to be willing to risk a couple “I hate your product” blogs, because only when you inspire that kind of passion about your product will you be able to inspire passion in your advocates as well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - Success and failure use the same compass. If you’re hiding from one, the other will never find you.
Other posts by Jennifer.
DK says:
Great insights - WOM is deifinitely the way to go for brands / companies. Enable and empowering customers / consumers to become brand advocates ensures a much more authentic voice. Looking forward to seeing the campaign… DK
February 19th, 2006 at 12:17 pmOlivier Blanchard says:
I just experienced that at the NAFEM show (going on this weekend in Anaheim, CA). I was one of four speakers during a pre-show conference and the three folks who went before me received absolutely no reaction from their audience. There was polite clapping after they were done, but that was it. And… I can’t remember what they talked about. My speech was a little different. Some people probably hated it, but it generated questions and discussion. Two days later, people are still coming into our booth to talk to me about my presentation. They’re bringing their clients and customers so they can hear what I have to say. It’s generated a buzz. (A small one, sure, but nonetheless.) We’ve never had this kind of traffic at a trade show before.
February 19th, 2006 at 12:18 pm“No news is good news” is about safety. It isn’t about growth or market leadership. There’s nothing truly “wrong” with it, but… it’s boring. “No news” really means “nothing worth talking about”. To me, that’s scary.