Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth is the a big marketing buzz word. Studies show it is the most effective form of marketing since people are more likely to believe something is true if they hear it from someone they know. I heard a guy quoted on the news last night saying something along the lines that the more often we hear something the more likely we are to believe it's true. To me that implies that not all advertising is true!? (shocking!)

Some companies now are using cab drivers in London to market their products. Because most cab rides are 16 minutes in length and cabbies tend to be very chatty they see it as a good opportunity. On the news they featured one man who received an all expense paid holiday and was asked to tell his customers about it. (They claim they aren't paid to say specific things.) Some companies will also give their products to people they deem influential, then ask them to talk to their friends about it. There are even companies who track the buzz on blogs about various topics and products. So watch what you write...It's the next frontier.