In the social media era, power has shifted from advertising's Mad Men to millions of trusted Brand Advocates. Their recommendations drive trillions of dollars of purchase decisions for everything from cars to computers, fish tacos to fitness memberships, software to smart phones. Amplified by social media, Brand Advocates' recommendations collectively reach millions of people on social networks, shopping sites, blogs, online communities, and elsewhere online. A new study sponsored by Zuberance has revealed three surprising findings about Brand Advocates. To download the full report go to zuberance.com/brandadvocateresearch.

1. Three Surprising Findings About
Brand Advocates
Zuberance Study, 2012

2. Brand Advocates are:
 Highly active
 Have larger social networks
 Recommend more types of
products than previously
thought

3. Brand Advocates – consumers and business buyers who
frequently recommend brands and products without being
paid – are highly trusted and influential. Their
recommendations drive trillions of dollars of purchase
decisions for everything from cars to computers, fish tacos to
fitness memberships, software to smart phones.

4. Now, a new study sponsored by Zuberance has revealed
three surprising findings about Brand Advocates. The
Zuberance study found that:
1 Brand Advocates are even more active than previously thought. Brand Advocates
recommend more brands, products, and services more often and in more categories
than earlier data suggested.
2 Brand Advocates have even larger social networks than previous studies showed.
Brand Advocates have hundreds of friends and colleagues in their social networks.
Their recommendations reach many more people than earlier estimates suggested.
3 Brand Advocates’ recommendations aren’t limited to consumer brands and
products. Contrary to popular belief, Brand Advocates recommend both consumer
and business products and services. Advocates recommend products that most
people consider mundane, like anti-virus software and file transfer services.

5. “Power Advocates”
The Zuberance study also has suggested that there is a segment of Brand Advocates
who are extremely active. These “Power Advocates,” which comprise about 15% of
Brand Advocates:
• Recommend dozens of brands, products, and services
• Recommend several times each week
• Have more than 500 people in their social networks

6. 1. Brand Advocates are even more active than
previously thought.
A global Word of Mouth study by Gfk Roper in 2006 found that the average consumer recommends
3.7 brands. The Zuberance study found that, on average, Brand Advocates recommend nine
brands, products, and services per year. The study also found that 16% of Brand Advocates
recommend 10 or more brands, products, and services and 16% recommend 15 or more.
NUMBER OF BRANDS, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES
RECOMMENDED IN 1 YEAR
40%
35% 38% 32% recommend 10
30%
or more brands
25%
30%
20%
15% 16% recommend
16% 16%
10% more than 15
brands
5%
0%
1-4 5-9 10 - 15 More than 15

7. 1. Brand Advocates are even more active than
previously thought.
On average, Brand Advocates make 26 recommendations per year. But 18% of Brand Advocates
recommend about once a week and 12% recommend several times per week.
FREQUENCY OF RECOMMENDATION
40%
30% recommend
35% 38%
once weekly or
30% 33% more
25%
20%
15% 18% On average
10% Advocates make 26
12%
5%
recommendations
per year
0%
A couple times a About once a About once a Several times a
year month week week

8. 1. Brand Advocates are even more active than
previously thought.
MOST RECOMMENDED CATEGORIES
Travel & Automotive Beauty &
Hospitality Cosmetics
The Zuberance study also found that 7%
4%
4%
Brand Advocates make recommendations Entertainment &
across multiple industries. While Leisure
14%
technology (25%) is the most popular
category, Advocates make
recommendations in ten industries Fashion &
Technology
including restaurants and 25% Apparel
dining, entertainment and leisure, and 4%
household items plus others.
Food, Beverage
& Tobacco
Restaurants &
10%
Dining
15%
Health & Fitness
7%
Household Items
10%

9. 2. Brand Advocates have very large
social networks.
Other studies have indicated that Brand Advocates have larger social networks than non-Advocates. For
example, a 2006 Comscore-Yahoo study, conducted before the rise of Facebook and social networking, found that
Brand Advocates have 82 people in their social networks. The Zuberance study shows that on average, Brand
Advocates have between 200 and 450 people in their social networks. And online Brand Advocates – consumers
who recommend their favorite brands and products using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, plus shopping and review
sites like Amazon.com, TripAdvisor, and Yelp – have between 300 to 600 contacts in their social networks.
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ADVOCATES’ SOCIAL NETWORKS
(IN HUNDREDS)
18% have 500+ in
social networks
Online Advocates
have 300-600 in
their networks

10. 3. Brand Advocates recommend both
consumer and business products.
Many people mistakenly believe that Brand Advocates’ recommendations are limited to consumer
products, like iPhones, energy drinks, and restaurants. In fact, the majority of Brand Advocates (67%)
recommend both business and consumer products and services.
TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Both business and consumer products and services 67%
Consumer products and services
(e.g., cars, electronics, movies, hotels, restaurants)
31%
Business products and services (e.g., business
computers, business software, business consulting 1%
services)

11. Other Intriguing Findings
The Zuberance study also revealed other intriguing findings
about Brand Advocates.

12. Brand Advocates recommend because of good
experiences and a desire to help others, not because
they get freebies.
Half of the respondents (50%) said the primary reason they recommend is they’ve had a good
experience with a product or service. Over one-third (37%) of Brand Advocates recommend because
they want to help others. Only 1% of respondents said they recommend because they get incentives
and rewards. This finding confirms previous research showing that incentives like free
products, discounts, cash, or points do not motivate authentic Brand Advocates.
PRIMARY REASON FOR RECOMMENDING
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
I had good experiences with a product or service 50%
I want to help others (e.g., I want my friends to make smarter
purchase decisions) 37%
I recommend brands, products, and services but only when I am
asked my opinion
8%
I want others to know I'm knowledgeable about certain brands
and types of products 3%
I get incentives and rewards (e.g., free
products, discounts, cash, points) for recommending 1%

13. Brand Advocates are persuasive salespeople
Over 80% of Brand Advocates believe their recommendations get their friends and peers to take
action. Sixty-one percent of Advocates said their recommendations caused friends and peers to
consider buying the recommended brand, product, or service and 22% said their contacts buy the
recommended item.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE RECOMMENDATION
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
They consider buying the brand, product or service I
61%
recommend
They buy the brand, product or service I recommend 22%
I don't know 17%
They don't do anything with the recommendation 0%

14. Brand Advocates recommend using online and
offline channels
Brand Advocates who recommend online and offline use both methods fairly evenly. They
recommend brands and products online on Facebook, Amazon.com, TripAdvisor, and Yelp plus
offline (over coffee, dinner, while on the phone, etc.).
RECOMMENDATION METHODS USED BY CONSUMERS: OFFLINE & ONLINE
1,000
900 22
122
800
47
700
Online: Third-party
600 Shopping/Review Sites
343
500 Online: Social Networks
400 774 143
300 Offline (e.g., meeting, phone)
200 376 143
100
143
0
1 2 3

15. Brand Advocates recommend using online and
offline channels
ONLINE TOOLS USED FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
E-mail and Facebook are the most
popular online tools for
Advocates, the study showed. Facebook
35%
LinkedIn
1%
Email Twitter
57% 1%
eCommerce &
Third-party sites
Blog 5%
1%

16. Implications for Marketers
Here are the implications for marketers:
• Marketers need to identify and engage Advocates now. It’s important that marketers
find out who their Advocates are by name and email address and create an ongoing
dialogue with them. This is not a one-time exercise and should not be limited to
quarterly or annual customer satisfaction studies. It should be done on an ongoing basis
using online surveys, social media listening tools, and other ways of identifying
Advocates.
• Marketers should activate their Advocates immediately. In the social media age, power
has shifted from advertising’s Mad Men to trusted Brand Advocates. Getting Advocates
to recommend a company and its products or services is the most important marketing
mission.
• Marketers need to place special emphasis on Power Advocates. Marketers should seek
to identify and mobilize as many Advocates as possible. Special efforts should be made
to engage and energize Power Advocates because they are a company’s or brand’s most
influential Advocates.
Lastly, the Zuberance study again puts to rest the myth that advocacy is a consumer
phenomenon only. As the study showed, people recommend both consumer and business
products. Therefore B2C and B2B marketers need to find and activate their Advocates.

17. How the Study Was Conducted
A total of 1,445 consumers participated in the Zuberance study, which was conducted
January 4-17, 2012 by Loyalty Wins, a consultancy providing strategic guidance on developing
global customer experience programs. Participants for the study, which represented a cross-
section of US adults, were provided by Media Baby, an online marketing solutions company
with a 100% permission-based database of more than 65 million records.
About Zuberance
Zuberance is the leading social media marketing company focused on Brand Advocates. Zuberance’s
award-winning social media marketing solution enables companies to systematically identify and energize
their highly-satisfied customers (AKA “Brand Advocates”), driving measurable increases in referral
leads, recommendations, and revenues. For more information, visit www.zuberance.com or follow
Zuberance on Twitter @zuberance.

18. Three Surprising Findings About Brand
Advocates
To download the full report go to: zuberance.com/brandadvocateresearch
www.zuberance.com
Twitter: @Zuberance
Facebook: facebook.com/zuberance
ZuberRants Blog: blog.zuberance.com
Contact sales: info@zuberance.com