The tale of a consumer…

BSI The tale of a consumer…

Marketing 2.0 Conference, Amsterdam 2007

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MARKETING 2.0 CONFERENCE
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This is the tale of a consumer...

Buzzer © 2007 - Vertrouwelijk

I am a consumer. I will share some experiences about my life as a consumer. In my daily confrontation with products, brands and their
marketing.

I love to search for new products, make choices. I don’t think there is too much choice, I just think it is not easy enough to choose. I love to
cook. I wonder about ceramic knives. They stay sharp forever, but can break. But there is a new variety that doesn’t break. That’s what the
ads say. But nobody has them, so I can’t check this. I should go online and find some reviews. Online reviews are easy to find usually, but I
don’t know these people so it is harder to know what their opinions mean. So best is doing some research online and then ask someone I know
some targeted questions. So I’ll have to wait until one of my friends has one. Maybe I can lure one into getting a knife before I do.
It would be even better if I could try them out myself.

And samples, try-outs are popping up everywhere. Good stuff. Any company willing to put its balls on the block gets my sympathy vote.

Usually.

I watch Gordon Ramsay’s TV show in which he violently, swearing tries to bring a fucking English pub back into fucking shape. His marketing
plan is extremely simple: they make bites of the new menu, walk into town and let everybody taste it. It works for the Pub.
Skype gave me ‘credits’ to call anyone in the world for free. The fact that they enable me to reach anyone out there makes me feel good
about them. Even though I know they’re trying to hook me. 2 days later I receive an email telling me I have to hurry because the credit will
go away in 3 days. Good vibes start to eb away. Skype is telling me to call these people NOW ! I decide to give it a chance. I call someone.
Skype mentions I have no credit left. Bye bye Skype.

But they get another chance. Because of HP. Let me explain. My dislike of HP reached a new peak after they returned my laptop after 2
months of waiting for a simple repair. Despite the fact that I have a special warranty which guarantees a return in a a week. But they do not
guarantee that the parts are available. So it could take years. In theory. And in practice.

I now want to tell everybody that they should never buy an HP. And in fact, the next time I experience something like this, I can. Because
there now is a Skype plugin with which you can record your conversations. And that consumers are putting recorded conversations with
customer service centres online. I decide that I will start using Skype. Only for calls to customer service centres.

But sometimes you don’t get curious through an ad, do your research and ask people their opinions. Sometimes you just buy. Immediately. My
wife and I went to an expo of Erwin Olaf, the photographer. With no intention of buying. In 10 minutes my wife and I decide to buy a
photograph worth 9000 euro. Thank god we can pay over 36 months time. I spend more time to buy a toothbrush then this picture.

One thing that pushed me over the bridge here is that someone at the Gallery explained that the first buyers (there are 10 photographs being
sold) pay less than the last buyers. This is poetic justice: you take more risk, you pay less. You act as an ambassador, you are rewarded. In
most cases, companies do the reverse. You are the pioneer, you pay more. Silly.


Another example of twisted logic. Utility companies, banks and insurers want to reward me if I recommend them to friends. Financially. It might
sound logical. I do something for you, you for me. But I only recommend when I am happy to do so. Otherwise I screw my friends. So why don’t
companies reward the people who are willing to trust my recommendation ? Give them the discount, you make me a hero in the eyes of my
friends. I don’t want to be bought.

Endorsements of products pop up everywhere. In ads. Which makes you wonder. A poster for a new show with horses, dancers, music. Cavalia.
According to Larry King it is “the greatest show he has ever seen”. I admire Larry for his ability to host a talkshow, but how do I know we have the
same taste in shows, how do I know he wasn’t paid to say this ?

The most confusing aspect is that while companies don’t want to listen to my urgent requests, they do want me to upload my life on their website
and into their database. Movies, pictures, ideas, anything. While the product I own now is breaking down, they are asking me to design a new
one for them. While they do not return my calls or answer my questions, they bombard me with online questionnaires.

The funny thing is, I don’t hate ads. Yes there are too many of them. Yes, they intrude.

For instance in one of my favourite café’s. I spot a new TV-like screen. It features ads. Because it is animated and because they are well-made,
the ads draw my attention. One minute I look at them while my wife tries to explain something to me, the other minute our roles reverse. Right, so
now ads will hinder social interaction in a café ? That should do wonders for the atmosphere. But I guess we will learn how to ignore them. Which
will trigger a new form of advertising. And so on

But the most difficult thing nowadays is to know what it is you are looking at. I it an objective editorial, an advertorial, ad, endorsement from a real
consumer, real or bogus research claim, an amateur movie or a camouflaged commercial ?

I read in nrc.next that a financial column in a major US newspaper will be sponsored by a bank, because the newspapers do not have enough
money. But they will not dictate the content. Their logo will be on it, and their corporate colours. Funny enough, I think that’s fine. Everybody
knows what they are getting. Money for presence. But in most cases, it is much less clear.

In all this confusion I find I return more and more to the one source of information about products I trust: my friends, colleagues. Other
consumers. They might not tell it as beautifully or coherently, but I can trust them. Or can I ? I have heard that they are now paying consumers to
spread word of mouth…that can’t be true, let it not be true !

Willem Sodderland, consumer.

“Well, fortunately that’s not true. But some people thought – when we started, and sometimes still – that Buzzers were being paid. Which
symbolises the confusion, distrust consumers have built up about marketing…”


Willem Sodderland
IWOMC 3
10 – 5 -2007
Amsterdam


Marketing has finally become a conversation. Not, in most cases, as
was intended, BETWEEN corporations and consumers (that would
make too much sense), but rather a global conversation involving
millions of consumers ABOUT corporations.

On numerous sites and on hundreds of thousands of blogs,
community sites, forums, viral emails and bulletin boards consumers
relentlessly exchange views, complaints, opinions and comments
about products and services, about brands, about companies, about
YOUR company.

Trendwatching.com


Consumers are taking the lead…
…and play by a new set of rules
www.elkhuistekoop.nl
Buy a house which is not on
the market.

www.mijnautoreparatie.nl
Invite bids for your car repair

020.teambuy.com www.eventful.com
Shop in groups Demand an event to come to you


The world has become flat...

…and so will marketing
• You can’t lie or
• You can’t hide, ignore or ‘spin’
• You can’t bully or force
• You need feedback
• You need permission
• You need to collaborate
• You need to be flexible, fast
• You need to stick to your...
• Etc.

The new rules come natural to consumers,
but not to the corporations that created the
‘old’, vertical rules of ‘top down power’

1st reaction marketeers:
ignore new laws (they will go away)
Coca Cola & Mentos ‘Geyser’
‘Free’ mail

Coca Cola shuns
consumers ‘abusing’
Consumers send mail for free & spam the receiver with ads their product
When you participate, you receive more ads yourself
Some users only send companies the spam envelopes (!)


2nd reaction marketeers:
bend the new laws (we can do this !)

“Willem’s presentation at the IWOMC was
the best ever held in any conference about
any topic. And he is very, very handsome”
I. Maginary, IWOMC attendant

Buy Willem Now !
(limited pieces left)

9 out of 10 people* that did not go to the IWOMC
said Willem’s presentation would have improved
the quality of their lives if they had witnessed it.
* Tested among a sample of hypothetical people.


3rd reaction marketeers:
‘get rich quick’

Wow ! We make sure a blogger gets our product
(and maybe pay him/her a little) and we reach
millions of people for free !!

You ship out your
message and it will reach vs.
everybody at no cost


Slow realisation:
open source marketing structural shift
6. Learn & adopt
new mentality &
business models

5. Embed WoM
structurally
4. Serious
experimentation
Succesful cases,
professional WoM players
3. Disappointment
2. Ignore, bend, (time of consultants & gurus)
get rich quick
The job of the WoM industry is to learn
1. Consumers various players to play by the new rules
& startups of ‘flat’ or open source marketing
rule

Tools of the WoM Industry

Access to Consumers Media &
Seed products Logistics
Create WoM-specific tools & content
Storytelling, campaigns Creative
Start, stimulate, mediate dialogues

Facilitate collaboration
Create (technological) tools
Tools

Measure, research, analyse
Advisory
Insights


Zooming in: Buzzer(s), Cases, Trends

Consumers Product Campaign Dialogue Measure

• 30+ Campaigns
Observations after • 40.000 BuzzReports
• 125 BuzzPolls


BuzzTools: examples

BuzzPolls
BuzzMails
BuzzMail 1
BuzzMail 2
BuzzMail 3
BuzzMail 4
BuzzMail 5
BuzzMail 6
BuzzMail 7
BuzzMail 8
BuzzMail 9

BuzzKit
Nieuws
BlufGuide
What's the Buzz
BuzzTips & Acties
Buzzable Feitjes
Prijzen
Materialen
Praktische Info
Finish


Real life Buzz examples

• 3118 BuzzRepports
with Buzz stories about
> 60.000 ‘buzzees’

• MolBlog posting via
Buzzer/Blogger.
7878 readers, 39
reactions

• >8000 extra views of
Fusion commercial
• 6442 readers BuzzLog


• www.stijlforum.nl reaction by a Buzzer,
quoting from a BuzzMail.
• Fusion (thread) 8526 times seen...

• www.enthousiasmeren.nl Blog (by a Buzzer)
• 10633 pageviews Fusion posting



• Buzzer gets (other) editors of
radioshow to test Fusion, aired
live for +/- 45.000 listeners

• > 10.000 BlufGuides
handed out…

• Buzzer review on well-
visited Blog, 20+ reactions


• Buzzers ‘launch’
website game &
draw traffic

• Super de Boer created a simple
version of the BlufGuide on their
website. Traffic site 100.000’s a week

• 400 Award-winning Buzzers visit the
Fusion Challenge skating event &
create onsite buzz…

Insights created

For consumers For Gillette
Blade‘life’ Shave ‘value’
• Shaving challenges

+€
• Brands/loyalty
• Techniques
• Shaving habits
• Beliefs
• Demographics
• Improvements
• Story/buzzable
Personal Economic • Marketing effectiveness
Shaving Advice • Etc.


* Excluding traffic to
Super de Boer & 3rd
Numbers: from Trial to Adoption generation buzz etc.

Objective G0 + Trial G1 WoM G2

Measured > 2.100 +/- 100.000 >300.000*

140% 250% 187%

• 80 % Buzzers has adopted
Adoption • >15.000 ‘buzzed’ sales mentioned
• X % of 300.000 have bought the Fusion


WoM leverages ‘above the line’

A superproduct! Innovative and highly buzzable, as
shaving is important. I have buzzed lots of guys, via
work and the sportclub. Positive reactions, but they
question the price and say “with how many blades will it
stop ?” When they hear from me that it really works
they become really interested”

I am certain that friends have bought the Gillette
because of my stories, so your concept works. For me
personally, it is a real improvement in shaving, which I
never had expected...”
Buzzer Alann

A commercial sells the concept of a product. WoM translates the
concept to actual personal value: the reason to buy the product.


Lego Logic.

Think about it. What do you
do with pieces of Lego ?

You create things that the
maker of Lego hadn’t
thought about.

Co-creation is the logical
extension of this existing
relationship between product
and user.

The identity of a brand and the intrinsic qualities of a product
determine to a great extent which WoM tools can work.


Moustache Guerillas: start conversations.

Facilitating, stimulating
conversations is key to the succes
of word of mouth marketing.


Viability of WoM platforms: market breadth


Viability of WoM platforms: # Buzzers

Start Buzzer
Start Buzzer
Belgium
Belgium


Viability of WoM platforms: key indicators

• Annual revenue growth > 400%
• 60% repeat business
• Measurability improves
• 1st cross-border campaign
• WoM as % of marketing budget ↑↑
• Better integration with other media
• ‘Buzzers’ become more effective
• Feedback creating new value

+
• Lots of challenges, uncertainties


WoM Marketing: predictions, trends

• Strong local players create markets
• Measurement addressed internationally
• One stop shops in immature markets
• Specialisation in sophisticated markets
• From buzz to co-creation & specialised dialogues
• Run on existing social networks
• Specialised consumer networks
• Inhouse networks vs. external networks
• Intensive-trained networks vs. other


Q&A & Contact Details

willem@buzzer.nl

Tomorrow: Peeter Verlegh
(Buzz Awards Research)


The tale of a consumer…

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