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David Reich

Valeria, there's a fine line here. Basically, companies are paying off people to talk about them, except instead of money, they're getting freebies or discounts. Some people will take the freebies and talk about products they honestly feel are worthy of conversation. Others will talk up products because they don't want to fall off the freebies list.

It comes down to who do you trust. If I have a friend who is always shilling products, I'll tend to discount what they tell me after a while.

In my post today, I liken it to product sampling.

Cam Beck

I think the customer pays for all kinds of WOM. Some explicitly, and some implicitly. Of course, the goal of every marketer of a product or service should be that the consumers sing its praises. Samples don't necessarily bother me. I do view endorsements with some skepticism if the product was free or lent, but the test for me is if the endorsement is thought out well enough to overcome my concerns.

I very well could be in the minority on that point, though.

Valeria Maltoni

David -- I was reading an article in the Sunday paper not long ago that centered on this very topic -- people signing up for freebies to talk up and actually making ok money from it. You do have a good angle, and I know this is a topic you're passionate about!

Cam -- we do, don't we? Funny how we are all searching for the pure intent when the truth is we are influenced by marketing *and* our biases. Does the pitch seem genuine? In other words, do you believe in it? That's what I look at.

Michael Wagner

Is the marketplace turning into the Iowa State Fair? Are we coming home with all kinds of samples and freebies stuck in an electric company plastic sack while companies expect us to remember them and talk them up?

I shutter when you suggest, "if your customers are going to become an extension of your sales force, why not craft a few simple messages they can use when speaking about your products?"

So now my neighbor has "talking points" just like the political pundits on the tube.

Most are capable of spotting the talking heads do their talking points. Will we learn to distinguish THAT kind of WOM from "the free kind"? Or will we in the end just dismiss it all?

Great conversation!

Keep creating,
Mike

Dan Nee3y

I absolutely agree with you, with traditional loyalty programs, it's hard to distinguish genuine opinions from repeated company messaging. The "new" customer loyalty program model that you mention rely on material incentives, which can draw out customers that are only interested in freebies. Wouldn't it be better to attract passionate customers with a community that provides them with not only rewards, but other valuable benefits: helpful tips in using the product, camaraderie with fellow users, and the opportunity to voice questions and comments in an uninhibited atmosphere? I wonder if communities like Tremor or Speak Easy were only created for brand building and WOMM but the real potential lies in the ability to collect rich information about customers, which can be leveraged and expanded with the right tools which could allow companies to understand customer insights across multiple company built communities.

Valeria Maltoni

Mike:

I love the comparison. In a way we're going back, aren't we? State and local fairs are all about community and getting together with neighbors and friends -- at least they used to be.

My suggestion was made with tongue firmly in cheek as that is exactly what Staples does in its Speak Easy program -- probably the reason why they called it such. And we might just dismiss it all.

Which brings up a topic near and dear in the blogosphere. What about comments from people who tout a product or service? Maybe we'll pick that up another day.

Valeria Maltoni

Dan:

This is an interesting discussion as in corporate life we often get samples of promotional materials, and I have to check myself for biases when hiring vendors.

These days it seems that no matter what the question is, the answer is community. I will be posting about that later this week or next one. I think the next wave in technology tools and space will be a departure from community.

You might want to check out Satisfaction, they are offering a space for customers to support other customers and companies to join the conversation. And it will be the ones who are passionate about a product and service to be active in that space.

Greenwoman

Hello Valeria! Blessings from my garden! I was nominated by Pamm at My Secret Spiritual Dance for an Outstanding Women Bloggers award and I just wanted to thank you for the series. There truly are some wonderful bloggers on that list. Thanks again!

Terri Waterman

How many of us can sincerely say we are 100% not biased about any product? Or any person? How do you buy credibility? Is it possible, and if so - would it continue to be credible? Looks like we're all on our own here...

Valeria Maltoni

Greenwoman -- you are very welcome.

Terri -- long time! Of course we are biased, we identify ourselves with brands that speak about our aspirations and to our qualities. Credibility is subjective, kind of like trust. And it builds over time with reputation. The other question I did not include could be: does it matter?

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