Seat at the Table

Numerous articles are being published (the latest from Business Week) on how companies like Chipotle are seeing great marketing success through word-of-mouth campaigns that cost a fraction of a typical marketing campaign.  These articles point out a lot of elements of a successful buzz campaign – a recommendationfrom a friend is worth more than a corporate message (if you had to pay for that advice…), free trials get people to try the product, good customer service counts for a lot etc etc etc.   But these buzz marketing oriented articles rarely focus in on the most critical ingredient to a buzz marketing campaign.  Here is that ingred….

But first, a small editorial to make sure you understand the secret to a successful work-of-mouth/buzz campaign. 

Buzz or word-of-mouth as marketing and communications disciplines have gotten way out of control.   We’ve actually managed to take the obvious (word of mouth recommendations are the most valuable kind) and turn it into a paid area of expertise.  Even worse, companies are convinced that a good buzz can be bought and paid for like an advertisement.

Wrong!  Good buzz is the result of properly communicating a strong business story.  Communications as a discipline does not create a great business story, it knows how to deliver it to the market.  It is an important and fundamental difference that is often ignored.  In the following equation, the first part is usually treated as almost incidental: great businesses+great public relations = great reputations. 

So, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I will now reveal the secret to successful buzz/word-of-mouth campaigns for free.  Using this secret ingredient you can spurr great word of mouth, phenomenal sales, a positive reputation and do it all while spending less on marketing than your competitors.  The secret?  A superior product that meets a strong consumer demand.  Need proof?  Just ask people why they love Chipotle.