Your WOM Program Participants & Structure Warren Ackerman, Principal Affinitive

Standard WOM Question Set WHO should participate ? HOW do I engage and motivate ? HOW do I measure results?

WHO should participate ?

HOW do I engage and motivate ?

HOW do I measure results?

Who Should (and WILL) Participate Scenario 1 No existing customer database (or customers!) Scenario 2 Customer database of < 10,000 Scenario 3 Customer database of 100,000+

How To Find Them Before Program Launch Who are your longest / most loyal customers? (CRM) Look for the ones who are listening WOM research/monitoring After Program Launch Customer service department WOM !

Before Program Launch

Who are your longest / most loyal customers? (CRM)

Look for the ones who are listening

WOM research/monitoring

After Program Launch

Customer service department

WOM !

The Qualification Process Questions to Ask: What are your hobbies? Do you take continuing education classes? Volunteer? How many siblings do you have? Do you have children, if so what activities do they participate in? Questions NOT to Ask: How many friends do you have? Do your friends ask you for advice on new purchases? How many friends on your MySpace/AIM Buddy list? Keep age close to generational splits (Boomers, Gen X, Millennials)

Questions to Ask:

What are your hobbies?

Do you take continuing education classes? Volunteer?

How many siblings do you have?

Do you have children, if so what activities do they participate in?

Questions NOT to Ask:

How many friends do you have?

Do your friends ask you for advice on new purchases?

How many friends on your MySpace/AIM Buddy list?

Keep age close to generational splits (Boomers, Gen X, Millennials)

Sample WOM “Insider” Program Invitation Dear ACME Enthusiast, You're invited to join in a whole new ACME experience – the ACME Insiders. It's an all new program for ACME customers and enthusiasts. ACME Insiders are those who purchase our products and they tell friends and family why they love our us. ACME Insiders provides participants with access to information and features that the general public doesn't have. Join us and you'll get news about ACME products before it hits the press. You'll be invited to preview ads before they go public and provide us with your input. You'll be able to access media galleries - including ACME photos - that were formerly available only to select employees. In addition, your participation on the ACME Insiders will give you the chance to earn prizes, access to special events, and more!

Dear ACME Enthusiast,

You're invited to join in a whole new ACME experience – the ACME Insiders. It's an all new program for ACME customers and enthusiasts. ACME Insiders are those who purchase our products and they tell friends and family why they love our us.

ACME Insiders provides participants with access to information and features that the general public doesn't have. Join us and you'll get news about ACME products before it hits the press. You'll be invited to preview ads before they go public and provide us with your input. You'll be able to access media galleries - including ACME photos - that were formerly available only to select employees. In addition, your participation on the ACME Insiders will give you the chance to earn prizes, access to special events, and more!

What Will It Look Like?

101 Of WOM Program Structure Customer-based vs. Network-based Public vs. Private Tangible Incentive vs. Intangible Two-way vs. Three-way communications communications

Customer-based vs. Network-based

Public vs. Private

Tangible Incentive vs. Intangible

Two-way vs. Three-way

communications communications

Structure Follows Objectives & Resources Structure Opt for customer-based program Opt for network-based program Opt for a public program with incentive Opt for a private program with two-way communication Three-way communications Intangible Incentives Objective/Resources Research, loyalty, advocacy No existing customer base, limited time, quick hit Acquisition, Viral Marketing Existing customer base, detractors, control sensitive Complicated Products Access to employees, VIPs

2006 Perspective From Dedicated WOM Agency First WOM award category (Mixx, “Wommies”) WOM-specific RFPs / WOM as a budget line item First formal studies on WOM (eMarketer, WOMMA Research Blog, Keller Fay) Corporate scandals continue  but this is good news for WOM 

First WOM award category (Mixx, “Wommies”)

WOM-specific RFPs / WOM as a budget line item

First formal studies on WOM (eMarketer, WOMMA Research Blog, Keller Fay)

Corporate scandals continue  but this is good news for WOM 

The Internal Pitch I’m going to build a program where OUR CUSTOMERS can: Help each other when using our products [Boss Message – We can reduce support requests to call center] Learn more about us [Boss Message – Consumers can educate themselves and each other about our products] I’m going to build a program where WE can: Learn from our customers [Boss Message – We can find out about small problems and address/correct them before they become a PR nightmare and cost $$$ to correct] Reward and encourage those who speak highly of our products [Boss hears – We get free advertising!]

I’m going to build a program where OUR CUSTOMERS can:

Help each other when using our products

[Boss Message – We can reduce support requests to call center]

Learn more about us

[Boss Message – Consumers can educate themselves and each other about our products]

I’m going to build a program where WE can:

Learn from our customers

[Boss Message – We can find out about small problems and address/correct them before they become a PR nightmare and cost $$$ to correct]

Reward and encourage those who speak highly of our products

[Boss hears – We get free advertising!]

For More Information Two more slides for the internal pitch… with a catch! Warren Ackerman [email_address] THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

Two more slides for the internal pitch… with a catch!

Warren Ackerman

[email_address]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!