Here’s the thing: When you create a customer outreach program, or some sort of sustainable, long-term word of mouth movement, you better make damn sure that you have all your ‘t’s crossed and ‘i’s dotted. Because if you try to do it on the fly, copy what others have done or pontificate on it for a bit and then rush into a hap-hazard program, you’re screwed. The thing about those folks that love you is that they KNOW you. They know what you’re capable of. And, in many cases, they know your brand better than you do. So if you screw it up early and often, then that sacred core that you were talking to will abandon you ” especially if they feel they’re being marketed to.

I’m not saying you have to be perfect ” no one is. But we all need to be transparent. It’s not like launching a new ad campaign. If your ads stink, no worries, because you’ll likely be launching a new one next quarter or next year. There are so many ads out there that even the great ones are easy to forget. But if you reach out on a one-on-one basis ” even if you have the best intentions ” and completely mess things up by assuming things or acting on preconceived notions, then prepare yourself for the backlash…because that core group that you were relying on isn’t going to forget (or forgive) any time soon.

There are some great examples of that very thing happening right now.

So be true to who you are. Make sure that your word of mouth movement is built into the very DNA of your brand identity and for goodness sakes, get to really know your customers before you start anything like a formal movement. What you’ll get in return will blow you away.

Is there a doctor in the house?

Yup.

Dr. Justine Foo is joining Brains on Fire as lead strategist for our insight team this week.

Justine is whip smart and will be a remarkable addition to Brains on Fire. She’s also going to add to the conversation around here. She’ll join our blog in the next week or so. So keep an eye out for her point of view in the coming weeks. Here is a small bit of Justine’s bio:

Dr. Justine Foo brings a unique combination of psychology, neuroscience, marketing and organizational consulting experience. After receiving her Ph.D. in Complex Systems and the Brain Sciences, Justine went on to join BrightHouse, an ideation company in Atlanta, where she conducted some of the first brain imaging studies to investigate how individual preferences are represented in the brain in collaboration with scientists at Emory University. Though labeled ‘the world’s first neuromarketer’ by the NY Times in 2001, Justine’s focus has not been on using neuroimaging to test specific ads or products. Rather she believes the bigger value lies in helping companies to gain a deeper knowledge of human behavior and motivation and to leverage this knowledge to strengthen both internal and external relationships. As a consultant, Justine has provided scientific insight and strategic thought for clients like Georgia-Pacific, Delta Airlines and Turner Entertainment Networks.

P.S. The muli-talented Jenn is following her passion for writing and will step into a new role here as lead of all things written (exact titles will work themselves out in our usual way). She, of course, will still remain a vital part of the insight team.

Wired points us to fans of Nintendo, who, after searching high a low for decorations for a Nintendo-themed party…made their own.

Talk about integrating a brand into your daily life. This is a form of evangelism in action, folks.

Tapping the Blogosphere to Cultivate an Ambassador Movement

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• When it comes to revving your brand awareness, is it time to put the consumer in the driver’s seat?
• Brand ambassadors are matchless mouthpieces for building loyalty, but how do you harness the power of consumer-driven buzz for your company’s benefit?
• How can you launch a customer engagement program that empowers and embraces your biggest fans in a transparent, natural and sustainable way?
• What role can blogosphere analysis play in shaping the DNA of customer-led movements?

Whether you already have a customer engagement program or are considering one, you’ll want to tune into this teleconference. Join Geno Church, Word of Mouth Guru from Brains on Fire, and Janet Eden-Harris, CEO at Umbria, as they draw from real-world scenarios to outline the who, what, and where of brand ambassador programs.Featured Speakers:

• Geno Church, Word of Mouth Guru, Brains on Fire
• Janet Eden-Harris, CEO, Umbria

This month’s Fast Company rekindled the previous debate between Duncan Watts and those in the ‘Influencer’ camp.

Watts is a ‘network-theory scientist who recently took a sabbatical from Columbia University and is now working for Yahoo,’ and here is the break-down of the argument:

Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point theorizes that there are ‘mavens’ out there that are the first ones to grab onto new trends. These influencers are both rare and powerful and, as the well-respected Ed Keller camp believes, these are the one out of ten folks who tell the other nine where to shop, what to buy, etc., etc.

Duncan Watts’ camp, as I understand it, believes that trends will happen when they are ready to happen - and that anyone can be an ‘influencer’… even your average, unconnected slob.

There’s data and charts and impressive books and presentations to back up both camps.

My two cents? They’re both right.

In our experience, which is not driven by charts, data or the like - but by hands-on experience, success is to look for those that have the potential to become influencers and empower them. It hasn’t been the coolest of the cool or those that are already giants in an industry. They are everyday people, but they aren’t the unconnected slobs, either. But we have seen these ‘everyday’ people become influencers. They have risen in the communities they serve and also have, in turn, raised others in the community as well. So now they are influencers making influencers. And so it spreads.

Watts, Keller and Gladwell are all great thinkers. And they have definitely influenced the way we do things around here as we continue to build sustainable movements into the very core of brand identities. The only thing we have had to go on, though, is hands-on, front-lines experience and our gut ” both of which have served us well.

I think it’s both great for the WOMM industry and healthy for all of us that there isn’t only one camp to pull from. So as the debate rages on and both sides generate more data to support their views, I have no doubt that we’ll all benefit from their thinking. Or at least it’ll be some more reading that makes my head hurt.