Word-of-mouth marketing -- Smart or sneaky?

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The allure of free products
Aug. 5: I've received not only a DVD containing the pilot episodes of “Shark” and “Brothers and Sisters,” but also a large package of information to help me talk about them with everyone in the universe — or, at least my universe. There's no script for me to follow; I'm supposed to use my own words to voice my own opinions. And I must disclose to “buzzees” that I found out about the programs by participating in an Influencer campaign, just like Kim and Larisa did with me.

I'll also have to submit reports on all the conversations I have with people about the two shows. I start to worry about the amount of time it will take to talk to people, remember all that was said and fill out the online forms reporting my activities. Would the fact that I didn't like the main actress on one of the shows (the über-skinny Calista Flockhart) affect my ability to buzz about it? We'll see.

Aug. 15: I've now conversed with 20 people about "Shark" and "Brothers and Sisters." I even hosted a little "fall preview" party with my parents. Everyone wants to know how I got the DVD, so remembering to tell them that I'm part of a word-of-mouth marketing campaign is no problem. Some people I've buzzed have even signed on to get their own copies.

Filling out the activity reports isn't as time-consuming as I'd feared, although I do find it hard to keep track of who I've talked to already. And a lot of people agree with me: that actress is too skinny.

Word-of-mouth marketing in action
I've joined a new campaign — this time through BzzAgent — for a sonic toothbrush. (Yes, “Stacey” at the beginning of this story was actually me.) This one is a little harder to bring into conversation since most people don't talk about oral hygiene nearly as often as they do TV shows. My first attempt with one of my supervisors was hardly buzzworthy at all.

“Finished proofreading that document yet?” she asked me.

“Almost.”

“Good. They need it by 3 p.m.”

She was hovering beside my desk, so I decided to fill the silence with some buzz.

“Hey, have you ever tried a sonic toothbrush?”

She gave me a long look before she answered. “No. Does it help you work faster?”

“It just might,” I chirped, my voice unnaturally high. “My teeth feel fabulously clean. And flossing is totally easy now. As a diabetic, it's important for me to keep plaque at bay, and this toothbrush is helping keep my gums healthy.”

For some reason I was feeling nervous even though I was telling her the truth: my teeth really did feel clean.

“And the way I got it was through — ”

“Thanks, but I just want the document by 3,” my supervisor said.

Oddly enough, after the deadline had been met later that day, she came back to continue the conversation.

“My brother is a diabetic. Maybe he should get one of those toothbrushes.”

Again, she was gone before I could tell her about my involvement in this word-of-mouth marketing campaign. I had failed to disclose: the number 1 no-no in the buzz universe. But I was finding disclosure hard to slip into a conversation. Was it really necessary?

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