Word of mouth: Who are they anyway?

Olivier Blanchard hit it between the eyes today on his blog (brand builder) when commenting on Word of Mouth:

"It starts with the great product though. Always. No exceptions. That product can be a piece of software, a car, a bike helmet, a customer service department, a window display, a story, a photograph, an ad, whatever.

I can't tell you how many times I've bought stuff based on recommendations from people I trust. As a matter of fact, I hardly ever buy anything now without asking someone what they think of it. A new triathlon bike. A pair of running shoes. A digital camera. A movie ticket. A video game. A cell phone."

Brilliant! While most of us occasionally swim against the current, we typically rely on input from those we trust.

But, here's the thing. A lot of times we rely on input from those we don't know, much less trust. Or, we rely on dubious sources. Here's what I mean...When is the last time someone told you "...they say it's supposed to be good". Or "...they say it really works". I'm willing to bet you've not only heard and acted on such advice, you've passed it on yourself (I know I have). So, who is THEY? Why do THEY know so much and why do we listen to THEY if we don't even know who THEY are?

We are by nature social creatures. We want to fit in, get along, be a part of the crowd. Test this theory by watching any playground. Spot the inevitable kid being teased relentlessly by his playmates. He stays and takes it because it is better to be a part of something (even if painful) than to be alone and a part of nothing. That's where THEY come in.

Who is THEY? The answers are numerous...the press, bloggers, the kids at the local high school, marketers. THEY come in many forms. But it doesn't really matter where it started. We all still listen to them.

Think of the industry in which you market. Who is the THEY in your industry? An analyst, a certain magazine, or, god forbid, your competitor? Think about it and act before it's too late. Become the THEY in your industry. Or at least die trying.

P.S. In addition to Olivier, check out John Moore's blog Brand Autopsy for more brilliant commentary  on the Word of Mouth topic.

Comments

[olivier blanchard]

Thanks for the props. :)

Excellent point about the "they", and the need to become the "they". (Whoa. Crazy grammar makes me twitch.)

I was first tempted to think of the "they" as "influencers", but that wouldn't exactly be accurate. "They" are kind of an impalpable aggregation of sources that could be as varied as advertisers, celebrities, radio personalities, magazines and store POP displays. (Usually not "real" or truly genuine people, but kind of a loose network of vague media-influenced outlets.)

Individually, they aren't all that influencial. But as a group, they become a cultural undercurrent of "truth".

There's power in harnessing that.

What should we call networks like this? Aggregate influencers? Influencer clusters?

Hmmmm...

[Immeteswath]

need to check