Word Of Mouth Marketing: Slow to Catch on in Australia

Everyone wants people talking positively about their product, program, issue or cause.

Yet amazingly few Australian organisations deliberately set out to include word of mouth marketing in their communications mix.

That’s surprising. Because word of mouth – receiving information from a trusted source – is the strongest form of marketing. We are more inclined to listen to family, friends or workmates when they urge us to do something, rather than be influenced by glossy brochures, slick advertising or sophisticated sales techniques.

Given the cynicism surrounding mass media and high powered advertising, there is renewed interest in word of mouth marketing which, let’s face it, has been around since caveman days.

We are now seeing an upsurge of interest in the US with the notable example being the work of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. But there does not seem to be as much buzz on word of mouth in Australia – apart from discussions on social media which too often focus on technology and forget the people using it. A 2005 PRIA article by Jonathan Carson lamented this situation and frankly I don't see much has changed since then.

Which is a shame because the effectiveness of a successful word of mouth marketing program lies in its simplicity. Word of mouth works when there are three fundamental elements present:

• A good product or service. People will only pass on information about a product or service to others if they have confidence in it. Word of mouth will reward good behaviour with referrals but will always punish poor performance.

• People who can help spread your word. Sometimes called key influencers, connectors or champions, these are people who will share your information with others in their networks - if they are convinced of the integrity of your offer. Key steps in this type of marketing are identifying these key influencers, getting them on board, giving them pass on tools that make it easy for them to spread your information and then acknowledging their efforts when they help your cause.

• Simple information. Word of mouth needs simple but memorable stories to succeed in conversation networks. Complex or bureaucratic language may look good on paper but it’s unlikely to work when people are sharing information face to face.

Word of mouth marketing is credible, cheap and fast which makes it an attractive option for big and small organisations. But marketers and others need to plan for it rather than just wishing for it.