Experience Matters

Would anybody tell a friend?

Shop.org’s Annual Strategy and Innovation Forum is going on this week. The key theme of the conference is about Web 2.0 and it’s implications for retailing. Naturally social networking, community, Ajax, and rich experiences were all open game for discussion. But a simple question by one of the speakers got me to thinking…

One of the keynotes was Andy Sernovoitz. He’s one of the founders of WOMMA, a professor at Northwestern University, and the author of the book “Word of Mouth Marketing.” Andy took us through a number of great examples of Word-of-Mouth in action. But his most interesting slide was a post-it note with the question “Would Anybody Tell a Friend?” It’s a simple question. But one that could have profound impact on better products, and better marketing if we all heeded that question.

Grab a post-it note and write that simple question on it. Place it on the side of your monitor as a simple checkpoint to ask with the work you’re doing in product design, marketing, experience development, advertising, or whatever your calling may be. If it’s not something that someone else would share with a friend, is there a way to build momentum by making it something that someone would enthusiastically share? It’s a simple question. But it can have profound impact if we’d all ask that question before rolling our our next idea.

Andy’s core premise is that word of mouth is the most authentic and least costly marketing. But we need to provide customers with reasons to talk. And we need to help them enable the conversation. What they talk about could be the product design. Or the customer experience. Or the unexpected. Of something unique. Or memorable. What’s the emotion that we can connect with? And how do we channel that emotion with a passionate pass-along?

The five T’s that are essential for effective Word of Mouth Marketing include:

• Talkers: Who will tell their friends about you?
• Topics: What will they talk about?
• Tools: How can you help the message travel?
• Taking Part: When should you join the conversation?
• Tracking: What are people saying about you?

What are those products that have talk value? Tivo certainly had it when it was launched. So did the iPod and iPhone. So did the Mini Cooper. Virgin Atlantic built talk value into their airline experience. Youtube had talk value with an easy experience and over a dozen ways to share it with friends on the page. And Google Maps had talk value the first time you saw it. And when they added Satellite views and Street Views they gave people more reasons to talk.

You can read more about Andy’s observations at his website, tips and ideas at his blog. Or you can pick up a copy of his book. Or just grab that post it note and remind yourself of that simple question, “Would anybody tell a friend?”

In the words of one of my favorite female vocalists, Bonnie Raitt, “Let’s give ‘em something to talk about.” Thanks Andy. You’ve given me a reason to tell a friend.