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I just had an interesting IM exchange with Steve Hall over at Adrants about what distinquishes word of mouth from buzz. Our IM session follows:

TheTweedyGroup: survey posted here…
TheTweedyGroup: http://www.ostermanresearch.com/survey_2005DEC08.htm
TheTweedyGroup: part of launch of my new company
TheTweedyGroup: www.boldmouth.com
adrants: oh so it’s done…ok
TheTweedyGroup: y
TheTweedyGroup: just doing releases on Monday — I’ll share data and finding at WOMMA conference. I’m speaking at the event on building WOM models
TheTweedyGroup: also trying to end buzz marketing practices…
adrants: well that will be controversial
TheTweedyGroup: gotta happen…
adrants: I’m not sold one way or the other on buzz…..there’s good and there’s bad in that category
TheTweedyGroup: artifically engineering buzz is harmful to brands and our emerging industry
TheTweedyGroup: right.. but buzz can be (used) correctly in terms of building awareness
TheTweedyGroup: think tags, backlinks, online groups,
adrants: just for kicks…how o you define the difference between WOM and buzz?
TheTweedyGroup: WOM the authentic sharing of advice as well as product and service recommendations
TheTweedyGroup: buzz is the creation of recognized interests that leads to consideration or purchase
adrants: But how is WOM truly authentic if we’re building an entire marketing structure around it?
TheTweedyGroup: it starts by engaging individuals who use a brands products or services
TheTweedyGroup: it’s building the framework for supporting those dialogs
TheTweedyGroup: that lead to commitment and advocacy
TheTweedyGroup: in our early testing of the survey … we heard organizations tell us that WOM is critical and that they
TheTweedyGroup: build it in everything they do…
TheTweedyGroup: but when asked….
TheTweedyGroup: do you have a WOM model?
TheTweedyGroup: most say no
TheTweedyGroup: that’s a bit scary
adrants: The definitions are still grey to me. Buzz marketers want people to talk about product. So do WOM marketers. Sure, there are differences but I’m still forming the definitions in my mind
adrants: not scary to me….I worked in agencies a long time….it’s all status quo….why do anything new when your job if safe when you keep doing what you’re doing?
TheTweedyGroup: I don’t believe marketers can create buzz… buzz is created from the actual folks using a product or service
adrants: true…but we try to enable it…to provide the tools that make WOM easier
TheTweedyGroup: I agree with the agency viewpoint.. had similar experiences at a WPP agency
TheTweedyGroup: RIGHT…
TheTweedyGroup: WOM is generated by an enterprise-wide commitment to customers
TheTweedyGroup: it’s about humanizing interactions
TheTweedyGroup: it’s about acknowledgement
TheTweedyGroup: and there are P/L pressures, boards that we immediate revenue growth
TheTweedyGroup: bottom line…
TheTweedyGroup: marketing has become a repetitive problem for organizations
TheTweedyGroup: I believe WOM practices can address those failings
TheTweedyGroup: thanks for your time…
adrants: np…I’ll look at the study