Monthly Archives: February 2011

The Where and What of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Topic: Word of Mouth


Photo courtesy of DavidK-Oregon

Podcast Episode #74 of the internet show about small business marketing


The first thing you need to know is where word of mouth takes place. It may surprise you that social media is not as important as the current hype suggests. The second thing you need to know is how you can create word of mouth conversation for your business. It may surprise you that it can be deliberately baked in to your business.

In this episode of Power to the Small Business podcast, you get a double shot of word of mouth wisdom for no extra charge! Two word of mouth braniacs join host Jay Ehret to discuss the where and the what of word of mouth. Learn where you might be wasting time trying to create conversation, and also get some practical tips on how you can use the 4 P’s of marketing to deliberately create word of mouth.

Guests:
Ed Keller, CEO of Keller Fay Group
John Moore, Marketingologist at Brand Autopsy Marketing Practice

Jay Ehret The Marketing Spot (Podcast Host)

Length: 38 minutes

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You can also download the mp3 file here: Download Power to the Small Business #74 (for personal use only)

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SHOW NOTES

Ed Keller on The Where of Word of Mouth

  • Marketing and advertising stimulate word-of-mouth conversations
  • Use your advertising to talk to your current customers instead of trying to attract new customers
  • Being present in advertising is important for word of mouth because it queues up your brand for conversation
  • 50% of all brand related word of mouth references marketing related activities

John Moore on The What of Word of Mouth

  • True word of mouth is how a business does business every day
  • Give people a reason to talk about you. Design products and services that are worthy of conversation
  • Deliberate Intention: Make every customer touchpoint a talking point by showing your personality
  • Use the 4 P’s of marketing to make sure you cover every customer touchpoint: Product, Price, Promotion, Place

SELECTED QUOTES FROM ED KELLER

On why word of mouth is important in the marketing mix:

“For a growing number of large, as well as small businesses, they’re beginning to realize the power of word of mouth in helping to make brand decisions in the name of marketing.”

On social media and word of mouth:

“There’s a lot of attention today to social media, but it might surprise a lot of your listeners to know that the overwhelming majority of word of mouth still takes place offline, when it comes to products, services and brands.”

On the advertising and word-of-mouth relationship:

“I think the number one objective for advertising in today’s marketplace is to spark advocacy and help spark conversation.”

SELECTED QUOTES FROM JOHN MOORE

On why some brands excel at word of mouth:

The best brands, that get the most conversation…it’s not about a campaign, it’s about how they do business.

On word-of-mouth marketing:

Word-of-mouth marketing is about giving consumers a reason or reasons to talk about a brand or product or a service.

On how small businesses can create conversation:

Small business people can strategically and intentionally design products and services to become worthy of being talked about.

Show Links

Keller Fay Group Blog
Kellery Fay on Twitter

John Moore’s Brand Autopsy Blog
John Moore on Twitter

– Free Recorded Word-of-Mouth Webinar: Creating Conversation

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Branding and the U.S. Marines

Topic: Branding

US Marines Brand Logo

Podcast Episode #73 of the internet show about small business marketing


The U.S. Marines is 235 years old and older than the country it defends. It’s more than just a brand of the United States Armed Forces, it’s a powerful brand. When you hear the words: The Few. The Proud. You know someone’s talking about the Marines. Thoughts, emotions and opinions begin to flood your mind. What makes the Marines one of America’s best brands?

In this episode of Power to the Small Business podcast, the former Chief Marketing Officer for the Marines joins host Jay Ehret to discuss the principals of branding and how the Marines maintain such a strong brand presence. Learn what went in to building the Marines brand and how they maintained brand relevance in the face of a pronounced demographic shift in their prospective recruits.

Guests:
Andrew Fortunato, Consultant at Executives in Action, Former Chief Marketing Officer at U.S. Marines

Jay Ehret The Marketing Spot (Podcast Host)
Length: 28 minutes

Email subscribers and feed readers – If you don’t see the player, click here to listen to Power to the Small Business
You can also download the mp3 file here: Download Power to the Small Business #73 (for personal use only)


iTunes
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SHOW NOTES

Best Branding Practices

  • Be laser-focused on your value proposition
  • Being true to who you are
  • Sell the intangibles
  • Use a simple tagline that says a lot in just a few words
  • Adapt to demographics shifts, but maintain your value proposition
  • Don’t bow down to pop culture.

SELECTED QUOTES FROM ANDREW FORTUNATO

On the strength of the Marines brand:

“What makes the Marines a fabulous brand is that it truly knows what it is and what it represents, and what it’s value proposition is to the American people, to its prospects, and to the nation overall.”

On the fundamentals of branding:

“The key to any brand position is knowing who you are, what you represent, and being true to that all the time. That’s the key to branding for any organization.”

On what makes a true brand:

“A brand has to be absolutely credible. It’s not something that can be contrived. It’s not something that can be made up.”

Show Links

– Andrew Fortunato on LinkedIn
Premium Webinar: RISE TO THE TOP: Local SEO and Google Analytics
– Free Recorded Branding Webinar: Branding U – Revive, Refresh, Revitalize Your Brand