Marketing Matters: The Various Words of Mouth - Moving Beyond the "Road-to-Damascus" Conversion

An editorial on WOM marketing. The author argues that word-of-mouth has six different outcomes that marketers should take note of, not just the much-discussed effect of persuading recipients of a message to buy a brand they otherwise would not have bought happens under certain conditions.

Marketing Matters: The Various Words of Mouth — Moving Beyond the ‘Road-to-Damascus’ Conversion

Jenni Romaniuk

Ehrenberg-Bass Institute

That word of mouth (WOM) has a powerful influence on consumer behavior is something of a truism in marketing. Even advertising quality is often judged by the amount (and quality) of consumer-to-consumer conversation it generates. And, at no time is as much attention paid to online advertising buzz as during the run-up to and the aftermath of the Super Bowl.

The presumption is that advertising WOM is a viable indicator of advertising success, much as we consider advertising reach, likability, and message...

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