For better word-of-mouth, shut it

Though it may seem a bit counterintuitive at first, good word-of-mouth stems from good word-to-ear, a.k.a. listening. Listening is harder than it seems when it comes to marketing, since so much of marketing is message-driven, based on what we want others to know about us. But, as PhD and CEO of a customer-listening company Laurent Fores says, traditional marketing strategies are evolving. He writes, "The implication is that marketing is no longer about planning and shaping the message for the brand -- or in other words marketing to consumers -- but rather marketing is now about understanding and better listening to what consumers say about the brand, moving towards marketing with consumers." You can read the full article here, which also includes 5 points about how listening impacts WOM campaigns.

I would further recommend putting together some kind of listening strategy (hopefully, my summer project). Trendwatching.com offers a report called Trend Unit that outlines how you can organize information to become your own trendspotter (basically, a good listener and observer).

Categories: neat_trends | tips_to_try